Kasaragod: A remand prisoner, charged with sexually abusing a minor boy, died at the Kasaragod sub-jail on Wednesday morning, triggering allegations of foul play from his family and prompting multiple agencies to begin inquiries.

The deceased, Mubasheer (30), is a native of Kunnupara in Deli in Chemnad grama panchayat. He was taken to Kasaragod General Hospital around 5.30 am after he reportedly complained of uneasiness.

He was declared dead on arrival. His body was shifted to the mortuary, and the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) has initiated the inquest. He is survived by his mother, Hajira, and four brothers, three of them in West Asian countries. Mubasheer was the eldest. His father, Kunhabdulla, a mason, died of respiratory ailments in March 2025.

According to relatives and neighbours, Mubasheer had returned home from the Gulf two months ago, after spending nine years abroad. Neighbour Kunhiraman T, a painter, said Mubasheer stayed in touch with the family only during the first year of stay abroad. After that, he kept no contact with the family. 

“He didn’t know about his father’s death in March,” Kunhiraman said. “When he turned up suddenly two months ago, all he had were the clothes he was wearing. His mother told me that his business had collapsed and that he was in jail there before he was sent home,” he said.

Kunhiraman said he realised Mubasheer had returned only when Vidyanagar police arrested him on November 5 in connection with a 2016 POCSO case alleging he had sodomised a minor boy. He was produced in court, remanded, and lodged in the Kasaragod sub-jail.

The family says the circumstances surrounding his death are suspicious. His mother, Hajira, visited him at the jail on Monday, said Kasaragod MLA N A Nellikkunnu, who spoke to the family. During the visit, Mubasheer reportedly told his mother that he was in distress, he said. “His family told me that Mubasheer was crying when he met his mother and told her that he could not stay in prison. He also reportedly told her that other inmates were assaulting him,” said Nellikkunnu, who was at the General Hospital mortuary where the inquest was being done.

The family said Mubasheer had no history of health issues, but jail officials forced him to take a tablet almost daily. A senior police officer said the tablet was believed to be an antidepressant.

The police have registered a case of unnatural death and begun an investigation. The Revenue Divisional Officer led the inquest, after which the body was sent to Kannur Government Medical College Hospital for autopsy. The Jail Superintendent and the police would conduct separate inquiries, said the MLA.

“The police will record the statements of family members and neighbours who have raised suspicions. Only after the inquiry and autopsy reports can we arrive at any conclusion,” Nellikkunnu said.