THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:Tension prevailed at Bakery Junction here for an hour on Friday evening after the police prevented Vaikunda Swamy Dharma Pracharana (VSDP) workers from taking the body of a youth who died in remand custody at Neyyattinkara sub-jail to the front gate of the Secretariat.
Sajimon, a native of Parasuvakkal near Parassala, was found dead while he was serving judicial custody in the sub-jail following a theft charge registered against him. He was arrested by the Parassala police on February 26. According to the Cantonment police, VSDP workers had staged a protest in front of the morgue of the Medical College Hospital earlier in the day. Later, they decided to take the body to Statue Junction alleging that the death was due to mob lynching. When the workers reached Bakery Junction at 3 pm, the policemen stopped them.
“We had received a Special Branch alert that VSDP workers could create law and order issues in front of the Secretariat,” said Cantonment CI M Prasad. “So, we decided to stop their march near Bakery Junction. Soon, VSDP chief patron Vishnupuram Chandrasekharan intervened. They said they will go back to Parassala once they get an assurance of financial aid from the District Collector. The protesters dispersed after the Revenue Divisional Officer promised a financial aid of C25 lakh.”
Sajimon’s brother Suresh Kumar, who was part of the protest, demanded a police probe into his brother’s death. Sajimon was reportedly beaten up by a mob after he allegedly snatched a gold chain from a woman at Hospital Junction near Parassala. When the police arrested and remanded him to judicial custody, he was healthy. However, he reportedly suffered some uneasiness and collapsed to death. The police said further action will be taken based on the findings of the post-mortem report.