Key witness found dead

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JUNE 18. An eyewitness to the murder of Brother George in Mathura on June 7 died ``mysteriously'' in police custody yesterday, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India said here today.

Vijay Kumar Ekka, the cook, was allegedly picked up by the suspended station officer, S. Sharma, in Mathura and taken to the police station. ``Two hours later, the Catholic brothers were informed that the cook had died,'' a CBCI spokesman said.

The Archbishop of Agra, Vincent Concessao, rushed to Mathura with lawyers who filed a FIR against Sharma, holding him responsible for the death.

At a press conference here, the Archbishop of the Agra Diocese, Vincent Concessao - under whose jurisdiction Mathura falls - said an FIR had been filed today against the Mathura police under Sections 302 and 342 of the IPC. The FIR had been filed by Brother Emmanuel of the Congregation of Franciscan Missionary Brothers, the order to which Brother Kuzhikandam belonged.

According to Archbishop Concessao, the police were trying to make Ekka's death look like a suicide. ``But there is no evidence to suggest suicide while there are several marks on the body that point to his being tortured. He, in fact, told the brothers who used to visit him daily with food that he was being tortured. He even feared for his life and told one of the brothers that ``they are going to kill me''.

Ekka, who was employed as a cook in the ashram, was one of the two persons who had seen the men involved in the murder of Brother Kuzhikandam. A native of Raigarh district in Madhya Pradesh, Ekka was picked up by the police on June 10 for questioning. Though no formal arrest was made, Ekka had been in custody ever since.

Archbishop Concessao said the brothers at the ashram were informed of Ekka's death around 11 last night. The police told them that Ekka had been found unconscious in a toilet. He was breathing then but was declared ``brought dead'' at the hospital.

Earlier in the day, the brothers were told by the police that they would drop Ekka at the mission later. But when Ekka did not return till late in the evening, the brothers went to the Narauli police station with dinner for him. ``The SO there, Mahavir Singh, did not know anything about Ekka,'' the Archbishop said, adding this made the brothers suspicious.

What has raised the suspicions of the missionaries is the involvement of the SO, Mr. Sunil Kumar Sharma, in the interrogation of Ekka. The Station Officer had been suspended in view of public protests for his failure to take action in the murder of Brother Kuzhikandam. The UCFHR has demanded immediate arrest of Mr. Sharma and constable, Dinesh Upadhyaya, besides the transfer of senior officers of Mathura district for dereliction. The UCFHR, the All-India Catholic Union and the All- India Christian Council have also decided to approach the National Commission for Human Rights for an independent enquiry into the ``custody'' death.

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