KASARGOD: A Judicial first Class Magistrate suspended for allegedly creating ruckus and assaulting police officers in an inebriated condition in Sullia, was found hanging at his official residence in Kasargod on Wednesday morning.
Unnikrishnan V K (48), the judicial officer, was declared dead on arrival at a private hospital, said Vidyanagar police. Later, the body was sent for postmortem in Pariyaram Medical College, Kannur.
Taking note of the two cases filed by Sullia police against him on Sunday and the alleged misconduct and procedural violations, the Kerala High Court had suspended Unnikrishnan, who had a judical experience of seven years.
Dakshina Kannada Additional Superintendent of Police C Vedamurthy had told Express that Unnikrishnan had assaulted an autorickshaw driver and later assaulted officers at Sullia police station when he was brought there too.
Sullia police said his blood samples were taken and sent to a forensics lab and the results were awaited.
However, after he was released following an undertaking, the judicial officer reached Kasargod and got himself admitted to a hospital with “multiple external injuries” on Sunday night. He came home on Tuesday evening. He had told Express that the Sullia police brutally assaulted him and denied all the charges. The doctors had confirmed the injuries.
Legal sources said Unnikrishnan, who took charge in Kasargod two months ago, did not inform the Chief Judicial Magistrate before leaving the state, which was an offence.
On Wednesday morning, when his relative stepped out to buy breakfast, he locked himself in and took the extreme step, police said.