Kodungallur blackmail case: Kerala child rights panel registers suo motu case over minor's suicide
The Kerala child rights panel registered a case over a minor's suicide following allegations that police harassment drove the boy to death, prompting demands for official reports into the tragic incident.
The Kerala child rights panel registered a case over a minor's suicide following allegations that police harassment drove the boy to death, prompting demands for official reports into the tragic incident.
The Kerala child rights panel registered a case over a minor's suicide following allegations that police harassment drove the boy to death, prompting demands for official reports into the tragic incident.
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has registered a suo motu case over the suicide of a minor, Mohammed Aslam, in Eriyad, Kodungallur, in Thrissur district, following allegations by the boy's father that police harassment led to the death.
The father, P M Noushad, accused the Kodungallur police of falsely implicating his son in a blackmail case linked to a romantic relationship and subjecting him to severe physical and mental harassment which, he alleged, drove Aslam to suicide.
In a social media post, Noushad claimed that his elder son, Sahal, confessed to an offence because he could not bear to see the police harass his younger sibling. He also alleged that the police kept the two brothers in custody for around three days before producing Sahal, who is an adult, before a court and Aslam, before the Juvenile Justice Board.
According to reports, the minor died by suicide after he returned from a visit to Sahal, who was lodged in jail, following the former's release from an observation home. The Commission registered the case suo motu based on media reports. It has sought reports from the Thrissur district police chief and the district child protection officer.
Meanwhile, fresh evidence has emerged in the related blackmail case involving allegations that the minor girl was blackmailed and forced to hand over gold and money after being deceived in the name of love. Police are investigating whether other girls may also have been victimised.
The family of the survivor has released an audio clip containing conversations in which the accused attempted to extort money from the survivor’s sister, who lives abroad. The recording reportedly includes threats to make the girl’s private images public, demands for money, and discussions about obtaining more money from her sister. Footage has also emerged, reportedly showing one of the accused visiting the girl’s house and sending a video of his visit to her sister abroad.