Muhammad Yusuf, an officer with the Labour Department in Jharkhand, and his wife Zohra Khatoon have alleged that the death of their son, Muhammad Equabal who was working as a crew member with a private airline company at CIAL was not accidental. In a press conference held at Ernakulam Press Club, the duo said that they do not believe that the cause of the death of Equabal was the fall from the top floor of the residency apartment and that the police should investigate the matter.
According to Muhammad Yusuf, the colleagues of their son first informed them on April 15 that Equabal had died after falling down from the balcony of the seventh floor of the apartment complex. Equabal who had joined as flight attendant in Nedumbassery was living at the apartment for the past six months. “When we reached Nedumbassery, his colleagues told us that he was dead. When we wanted to visit the police station, some of his colleagues prevented us from doing so. On visiting the station we came to know that an FIR on accidental death has already been lodged. Even at the police station, the officials were not cooperative. The police did not call us even after several weeks as part of the investigation,” Muhammad Yusuf alleged.
Muhammad Yusuf said that he came to know from another colleague that their son had had a verbal row with two of his colleagues. They had even threatened to take revenge on him. “Equabal had spoken to his brother and sister just 25 minutes before the accident. He had sounded to be very happy with his life and wanted to scale new heights in his career. He was also very healthy and alert and there was least possibility of him falling from such a height,” Yusuf said. Muhammad and Zohra have written a letter to the DGP for proper investigation on the death of their son. Muhammad said that the Governor of Jharkhand has written to the Government of Kerala to conduct an investigation into the matter. The duo met Sathish Bino, Superintendent of Police, Ernakulam Rural, and requested them for an investigation into the matter. According to them, the SP has ensured them that all the necessary steps would be taken.