Vagamon: A week after the custodial death of a financier from here, his mother alleged that the police 'killed' her son as he did not give bribe to them.
"If he had done any crime, they could have punished him in jail. They did not have to kill him," Kumar's mother Kasthuri A, 70, said.
Kumar, a native of Vagamon in Kottayam, was detained in connection with a financial fraud case on June 12. The 49-year-old died on June 21 allegedly due to custodial torture.
The Peermade police had filed a case of unnatural death on the same day.
Kasthuri said that she had gone to the Kottayam Medical College Hospital to see her son's body. "There were marks on his body. He had also lost one tooth," she told reporters.
She further alleged that Kumar was assaulted in the jeep with a wooden stick.
"I was not at home when he was brought for evidence gathering. Others told me that he was beaten with a stick. Neighbours said Kumar was howling in pain as they hit him. When I contacted Nedumkandam police station over the phone, I was told that he was being questioned,” she said.
"They are saying he swindled people of their money. But no one was able to find that money. Nothing was found at home. I go for domestic work to earn a living. Kumar too used to work till recent times," she added.
Ribs were broken
Kottayam/Thodupuzha: The statement of the deputy police surgeon of the forensic department at Kottayam Medical College Hospital also revealed the extent of torture Kumar had faced.
Kumar had suffered assaults and bore injuries on his legs and hands, Dr B K James of the Kottayam Medical College Hospital who examined his body said.
“There were 32 bruise marks below the waist and his ribs were broken,” the doctor said.
He also hinted that Kumar’s ribs were damaged as he could have been administered with Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Before the autopsy, the body weighed 120 kg, which was found to be more than Kumar's actual weight.
A team led by Crime Branch DySP Johnson Joseph took the statement from Dr James on Saturday.
Dr James examined the body as he was on duty that day.
Rights' panel seeks report
Thiruvananthapuram: The state Human Rights Commission chairman Justice Antony Dominic has asked the Kerala Police chief to immediately file a report on the custodial death of Kumar. The commission's action comes after a complaint was filed by Dr Guinness Madasamy.
CCTV visuals seized
Meanwhile, the Crime Branch team has seized the hard disk that contained the CCTV visuals of the Nedumkandam police station. Idukki Crime Branch DySP K S Sabu and his team took the visuals from June 12-15 when Kumar was kept in custody. The visuals also showed Kumar being taken out for evidence gathering and returning to the station. The team also checked the register, and officers’ duty details.
However, no case has been filed against the erring officers even though it has been 10 days since the death.
Long travels puzzling
As the investigation is on, what is intriguing is the extent of travel Kumar made in the month preceding the shutdown of his firm called Haritha Finance located at Thookupalam.
Twenty-five days before the business was shut down, Kumar had given an advance of Rs 1.5 lakh to buy a car worth Rs 8 lakh. He had assured the vehicle dealer that he would give the balance amount in 25 days. However, since the amount was not given even after the deadline, the dealer took back the vehicle. After this, the police shut down the firm.
The cops have found that Kumar had travelled 7,300 km during these 25 days. It is estimated that Kumar had travel approximately 300 km every day. The cops suspect that he was travelling outside the district. The Crime Branch is trying to ascertain whom all did he meet and what were their links to Kumar.
Cops too part of fraud?
Even the cops in the high-range are said to be part of the finance firm, reports hinted. Second accused in the case, Shalini, told the Nedumkandam police that Kumar had given the money, procured through his business, to a police officer in the high-range station and a friend.
Kumar had also reportedly bought furniture worth lakhs of rupees for his rented accommodation at Thookupalam.
