Suspected custodial torture in Thrissur

By Our Staff Reporter

PERAMANGALAM (THRISSUR), NOV. 20. The body of a youth who was questioned by the police at Peramangalam station in Thrissur district on Sunday in connection with an assault case was found in a well near the station this morning.

Coming as it does in the background of a series of reports of `excesses' by the police from different parts of the State in recent days, the incident has triggered off fears of it being another case of custodial torture.

However, any clinching evidence to substantiate the allegation of the relatives of the deceased that there was foul play on the part of the police in the incident was yet to emerge.

The youth, Chimminiveedu Muraleedharan (25) of Velappaya, was questioned by the police in connection with a complaint that he had assaulted his neighbour, Mrs. Soudamini.

According to the police, Muraleedharan himself had come to the station on Sunday alleging that the family members of Mrs. Soudamini had assaulted him. However, the police claimed that he was sent back the same evening since they had not received any complaint from Mrs. Soudamini.

A police team on patrol duty on that night had seen a person running away from the road in the area where the well, in which the body was later found, was located.

They had chased the person but failed to nab him since he had jumped over the compound wall of the plot and disappeared into a bushy plot under the cover of night.

The police had cross-checked with neighbours about the person they were chasing. Since no useful clue was forthcoming, they had stopped the search.

Nothing was heard about the incident for the whole of Monday. Later, one of the persons staying close to the plot saw the body of a man in the well on Tuesday morning and alerted the police and the neighbours.

Later, the body was identified as that of Muraleedharan. His relatives were informed.

The police version is that Muraleedharan, who, according to them, had some mental problem, might have hung around the police station area even after being released by the police on Sunday evening.

He must have tried to run away when he saw the police party and must have slipped into the unfenced well in the night.

However, according to a complaint filed by Mr. K. Mohandas, brother of Muraleedharan, the police had informed their neighbours over the phone on Sunday evening that he (the victim) was in the police station.

Similarly, the police had gone to the house of Muraleedharan on Monday evening and informed that they must come to the police station on Tuesday morning to get him released on bail.

This complaint by Muraleedharan's relatives has raised serious doubts about the police version that the accused was released on Sunday evening.

The police, however, denied that they had informed anyone over the phone about the presence of Muraleedharan at the station.

They said a constable had gone to the house of Muraleedharan on Tuesday to inquire into the complaint filed by the relatives of Mrs. Soudamini against him.

The inquest of the case was conducted by the RDO, Mrs. Kochuthresia, as demanded by the victim's relatives. The district SP, Mr. Balramkumar Upadyaya, said the post mortem of the body to be conducted on Wednesday will be video-taped to ensure maximum transparency in the case.

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Section  : Southern States
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