KOCHI: Had it not been for the crucial involvement of the then Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) K V Mohan Kumar, the Udayakumar custodial murder case would have been buried by the police as a normal death.
The inquest and detailed inquiry reports prepared by Mohan Kumar, who is now Public Education Director, played a vital role in bringing the culprits to book. “I have been truthful to my job and I am really happy that the sincere effort taken by me and my team paved way for delivery of justice in the case,” said Mohan Kumar.
It was when the Fort Police informed him a person in custody had died at the Medical College Hospital after he complained of chest pain, Mohan Kumar reached the hospital.
“When I examined the body, I found dark patches on the thighs. Though the policeman who stood next to the body said the victim had some skin disease, I did not believe it. Usually, the police help us to conduct the inquest. But in Udayakumar’s case, I did not involve the police and my team conducted the inquest. We also made sure the post-mortem was conducted by a panel of doctors. All the findings revealed the victim was brutally tortured while in custody,” he said.
Mohan Kumar said there were also marks of beating on the heels of the victim. “We also ensured the post-mortem proceeding was video-graphed. As in case of all custodial death incidents, we filed a detailed report to the National Human Rights Commission, confirming it was a case of custodial torture death,” he added.