Versatile actor Kalabhavan Mani who had enthralled audiences in Kerala and Tamil Nadu for years passed away in a Kochi hospital on Sunday night.

Though first reports said that Mani had died due to liver ailments, police officials confirmed to The News Minute that a case of unnatural death had been registered by the Chalakudy police as there were doubts raised about the death. Initially it was decided to shift the body to the mortuary in the Amritha hospital in Kochi where the actor had passed away, but later the body was moved to the Thrissur medical college. An FIR has been filed under section 174 CrPc at the Chalakudy police station, based on a complaint lodged by the actor’s brother Ramakrishnan.

While the circle inspector of Chalakudy police station will investigate the case, a special team under Deputy Superintendent of police (Admin) Sudhakaran has also been formed to head a parallel probe.

Thrissur Rural SP Karthik told TNM, “An FIR has been filed. We will question the doctors and others. We will wait for the post-mortem report and other medical reports.”

Some media reports suggest that traces of methyl alcohol were found in his body. “It is too early to say anything, let us not jump to conclusions. Let the medical reports come,” Karthik said.

The police commissioner of Kochi MP Dinesh told The News Minute that a case would be registered by the Thrissur police and the Kochi police will not be part of the investigation.

(Methyl alcohol is a poisonous substance found in spurious liquor).