THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Crime Branch is set to probe the incident where a couple from Neyyattinkara accidentally immolated themselves while trying to resist their eviction by the Kerala police. The other family members had requested probe by a special agency.
The sons of the deceased couple had alleged that the police had shown haste in enforcing a lower court's verdict to evict them from a property that was under litigation.
They also charged the police officers of not backing off from the scene when the couple raised a suicide threat.
The police action had come under immense criticism as the boys alleged that their parents Rajan and Ambily did not want to die by suicide and the sole intention behind their act was to turn away the cops.
They had also alleged that the family members were having food when the cops and the court officials came to enforce an eviction order issued by the local Munsif court.
"They did not allow my father to finish his food. He had pleaded them to wait for another 30 minutes as he was expecting a High Court stay order on eviction. But they did not listen," Renjith, the younger son had alleged.
The boys had also made a serious allegation that the fire erupted when the policeman tried to snatch the lighter from Rajan and they claimed that it was done intentionally to create a blaze.
The Crime Branch probe will mainly probe this allegation. It will also check whether the cops had made any procedural lapses resulting in the tragedy.