Kochi: Police officer A V George, who was suspended in connection with the Varappuzha custodial death, will not be named as an accused in the case, reports said on Sunday. The special investigation team (SIT) probing the murder of Sreejith has received legal advise from DG prosecutions in this regard, sources said. Only departmental inquiry was needed against the erring cop, the SIT has been reportedly told.
George was the superintendent of police, Aluva (rural), when Varappuzha-native Sreejith died of custodial torture. George was initially transferred to the Thrissur Police Academy apparently after he landed in trouble over the case. But the disciplinary action in the form of suspension was recommended by state police chief DGP Loknath Behera later.
Earlier in May, the SIT cited lapses on the part of George in the probe into the case. Three members of the Rural Tiger Force, which had been functioning under George, were arrested in connection with the death of Sreejith. The squad was disbanded in the wake of the allegations against it.
Sreejith succumbed to injuries allegedly inflicted on him by policemen after he was taken into custody in connection with the suicide of Vasudevan, a native of Varapuzha. Vasudevan, 56, hanged himself after a group of men barged into his house and threatened him.
The special squad took Sreejith, father of a two-year-old, and nine others into custody on April 7 and charged them with abetment to suicide and rioting. Subsequently, Sreejith was taken to a hospital where he died on April 9. The police came under more trouble after Vasudevan's son said that Sreejith's arrest was a case of mistaken identity as it was some other Sreejith who had threatened his father.