KOTTAYAM: In yet another incident of police’s laxity, a bridegroom hailing from Kottayam who was abducted allegedly by his wife’s relatives has been found dead at Chaliyekkara near Punaloor in Kollam district in the early hours of Monday.
The death of Kevin P Joseph-23 from SH Mount in Kottayam has put the local police in the dock as the station house officer (SHO) at Gandhinagar police station, Kottayam did not act timely to save the young man’s life, even though, his wife and relatives lodged a complaint early morning on Sunday and waited in the police station all day.
The incident put Kerala police, who are already facing the heat for the custodial death of another young man Sreejith in Varappuzha in Ernakulam, in shame as the SHO M S Shibu reportedly told the complainant and Kevin’s wife Neenu that police could take up her complaint only after some programmes of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, which were scheduled in his police station limit, on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Kottayam DySP Shajimon Joseph filed a report to the district police chief stating SHO had made lapses in handling case.
It all commenced after Saturday midnight when Kevin and his relative Aneesh were abducted by a ‘quotation’ (a euphemism for contract killers) team allegedly deputed by Neenu’s relatives.
Police said Kevin was in love with Neenu, who is a college student in Kottayam and hailing from Thenmala in Kollam for a couple of years and they got married recently. Following a complaint submitted by woman’s relatives, Gandhinagar police summoned them to the police station. However, woman preferred to go with her husband.
Later, Kevin with the help of Aneesh sent her to a hostel on Saturday in the wake of the threat from Neenu’s relatives. In the early hours of Sunday, the quotation team barged into the house, where Kevin and Aneesh were staying and abducted them to Thenmala. While Kevin escaped from their clutches when the gang reached Punaloor, Aneesh was later let off.
Aneesh, who came back to Kottayam had given a statement at the police station and was admitted to Govt MCH, Kottayam with injuries.
However, Kevin was found dead in a deserted place in Chaliyekkara on Monday morning.
Gandhinagar SHO Shibu suspended
Meanwhile, DGP Loknath Behra swung into action to control the damage. Immediately after he told reporters that action would be taken against SHO if there were any lapses from his part, the suspension of Gandhinagar SHO Shibu was
announced.
Moreover, a special team led by an officer in the rank of Inspector General (IG) Manoj Abraham was also formed to nab the gang who abducted and killed the youth.