A 29-year-old Muslim man succumbed to his injuries following the alleged custodial torture in Kerala’s Kollam district. His family claims that he was brutally assaulted by police after being taken into custody. The assault, as alleged by the family, led to fractured ribs, which resulted in severe lung infection.
The deceased identified as Siyad was a private truck driver and the sole breadwinner of the family. He died on Sunday while undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram following the fractured ribs and a severe lung infection.
His family claimed that the injuries occurred during police custody. Meanwhile, the case is under investigation by the District Crime Branch.
The sequence of the incident started when police detained the deceased on the night of the 16th ahead of the complaint that said that a 13-year-old neighbor was missing. The next day, the deceased was returned home.
According to the complainant, whose missing person complaint resulted in Siyad being taken into custody by the Kundara police, Civil Police Officer (CPO) Sreejith began assaulting him immediately after he was placed inside the police jeep.
“I was inside the jeep when Siyad was beaten. He cried out in pain while he was being assaulted,” she alleged as reported by Maktoob Media.
Furthermore, deceased parents alleged that he narrated to them that he was brutally beaten inside the police vehicle for being mistaken for someone else.
They said that the deceased had no health issues prior to this. Describing the barbaricity unfolded, they said that the deceased was unable to even drink water for eight days after the assault unfolded.
The deceased’s family described him as the sole breadwinner with no criminal antecedents and demanded the dismissal and prosecution of the police personnel allegedly responsible for his death. They also said they would approach Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and the Director General of Police, seeking a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
The alleged custodial death is being investigated by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) of the District Crime Branch. The Kerala Police, however, have denied allegations of custodial assault.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) staged a protest outside the Kundara police station, demanding action against the officers allegedly involved.
Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged the government to take immediate action, saying it must ensure that “all the culprits are brought before the law at the earliest through stringent action.”
