KOTTAYAM: According to the police, Sajikumar found a difference of 400-gm gold in the stock over the past eight months and lodged a complaint on Tuesday. Subsequently, the police summoned Sunil and his co-worker Rajesh to the police station and they admitted they took around 264 grams, on various occasions. After Sajikumar pleaded not to register any case against Sunil, the police let them off after collecting a written statement that they would return the gold the following day.
However, Sunil’s relatives dismissed this version and said he was brutally tortured in the police station and asked to produce the gold or Rs 8 lakh before 4 pm on Wednesday. Sunil’s brother Anil told reporters the former had contacted him over the phone and said he was unable to produce the amount of gold and hence was committing suicide. By the time Anil rushed to his brother’s house, Sunil and Reshma consumed poison and were battling for their lives.
Speaking to Express, Kottayam district police chief Hari Sankar said police would conduct an impartial probe into the incident and have entrusted DCRB DySP Prakash with the task of leading the investigation. Khan, meanwhile, was transferred following the incident.“We’ve decided to take all the necessary precaution in a custodial death case. However, we’ve to get scientific evidence through inquest and postmortem of the victims to lead the case.
We’re not in a position to neither confirm or dismiss lapses on the part of the police at this juncture,” said Hari Sankar. He said the inquest will be conducted under the aegis of Revenue Divisional Officer and a postmortem will be done by a team of doctors at the Forensic Medicine department at Government Medical College Hospital, Kottayam, which will be video-graphed as well. Police will also check the CCTV visuals at the station.
Register murder case: Chennithala
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala demanded a murder case should be charged against police
officers, who are responsible for the couple’s suicide. Chennithala also alleged serious lapses from the part of the police. UDF and BJP have called for a hartal in Changanassery taluk on Thursday.