Nedumkandam: Amid the row over last month's custodial death of a financier and action against cops, an inquiry has revealed that the 49-year-old man was denied advanced treatment despite brutal torture in the police station for a few days.
The probe found that the Nedumkandam jail authorities failed to provide the requisite specialist treatment to Kumar, an accused in a financial-fraud case. He subsequently died of torture in police custody on June 21. (He was arrested from his residence on June 12, but the arrest was formally registered only on June 15.)
Deputy Inspector-General (Jail) Sam Thankaiyan conducted an inquiry at the Medical College Hospital (MCH), Kottayam, and found that the jail staff had taken Kumar there. The MCH doctors had suggested an ultrasound scan after Kumar’s urine had traces of blood. The results were never shown to urology specialists.
The doctors, who had earlier stated that Kumar was not taken to the hospital for treatment, later changed their statement to aver that Kumar was indeed brought for treatment
there. During the probe it came to light that doctors of the surgery and urology units had examined Kumar on June 19 and 20.
On June 19, he was examined at the surgery unit. Kumar reportedly told the doctors that he had kidney stone and pain owing to it for the past five years. On June 20, he was examined by postgraduate doctors of the urology unit. The doctors suggested blood tests and an ultrasound scan, the results of which never reached the doctors.
It is also being investigated why Kumar, who reached the hospital in a critical condition, was not admitted as an in-patient.
The DIG also took the statements of the doctors who did the autopsy.
Cops misled doctors
Earlier, the police had misled the doctors of the Nedumkandam taluk hospital where Kumar was kept under observation on the night of June 16. '
The police told the doctors that the bruises on the accused were the result of a fall when he tried to escape on seeing the police team which went to arrest him at his Thookupalam residence. Now, it turns out that the bruises and contusions were caused due to torture in custody.
Kumar had told the doctors at the taluk hospital that he could not lie down. Hospital employees told investigators that Kumar looked hassled and scared and was largely reclusive.
He spoke very little, they said.
The police actively stood guard while he was treated, probably fearing that Kumar would spill the beans to the doctors or others. He told the doctors that there was an implant in his leg after a road-accident induced fracture two years ago. He said the autorickshaw he was travelling in had overturned, causing the fracture. An x-ray was taken after he complained that the pain on the leg was excruciating, the employees claimed.
It is also said the cops accompanying him were enraged after the x-ray of the wrong leg was taken!
The state government has constituted a special team of the Crime Branch to investigate the custodial death. The team had found that the victim was subjected to brutal torture at the Nedumkandam police station between June 12 and 20. The government has also announced a judicial investigation into the incident. The judicial commission will also recommend steps to prevent custodial torture, the chief minister had recently said. The terms of reference of the commission would be finalised by the Cabinet soon.
