Three Kerala policemen arrested for custodial death of Sreejith

The state government earlier suspended the circle inspector, sub inspector and two other policemen of the Varapuzha police station.
Three Kerala policemen arrested for custodial death of Sreejith
Three Kerala policemen arrested for custodial death of Sreejith
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Three Kerala policemen were arrested in Aluva on Wednesday for "wrongly" taking into custody a youth who died in a hospital three days later.

Sreejith, 26, who hails from Varapuzha near Aluva, was arrested on April 7 after 56-year-old Vasudevan hanged himself to death as a group of men came to his house and threatened him.

A special squad of policemen attached to the Ernakulam's Superintendent of Police, Rural, took into custody Sreejith and nine more people and charged them with abetment to suicide and rioting.

Subsequently, Sreejith was brought to a hospital near Aluva and died on April 9.

The opposition took up the issue, forcing the state police chief to appoint a special team led by Inspector General of Police S. Sreejith to probe the death.

Also, Vasudevan's son Vineesh recently said that Sreejith's arrest was a case of mistaken identity as it was some other Sreejith who had threatened his 56-year-old father.

The Kerala Human Rights Commission also took up the case and found out from preliminary reports that it was a clear case of "custodial torture".

The arrested policemen are the ones who first took the victim into custody.

Meanwhile, according to those in the know of things, more arrests are likely as the alleged involvement of other top officials has come to light.

The state government earlier suspended the circle inspector, sub inspector and two other policemen of the Varapuzha police station.

Meanwhile, as per the autopsy report accessed by Manorama News, more details have emerged which indicate that Sreejith was tortured to death while in custody. 

The report says that there were 20 injuries on Sreejith's body, including on his genitals. It further states that an injury on Sreejith's small intestine is the cause of his death. 

His large intestine was also badly injured, said the report, adding that such an injury could only be sustained due to a kick. Because of the injury on the intestines, the food reportedly got mixed with blood, leading to infection that spread to his other organs. 

(With IANS inputs)

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