KOCHI: The High Court on Friday issued a notice to the state government on a petition challenging an order withdrawing the suspension of excise department officers accused in a custodial death case.
Justice P V Kunhikrishnan issued the order while admitting the petition filed by Nessi, wife of Renjith Kumar who died in the custody of the excise department.
The plea challenged the withdrawal of the case against the officers before the completion of trial as well as the disciplinary proceedings pending against them. The government issued the order in favour of seven officers — Ummer A V, Anupkumar, Abdul Jabbar, Nidhin A, Mahesh K U, Smibin V M and Benny M O.
The counsel for the petitioner, Jyothilakshmy K K, submitted that seven officials of the Excise Enforcement and Anti-Narcotics Squad, Thrissur, were chargesheeted by the CBI in the custodial death case. The excise officials took Renjith Kumar into illegal custody on October 1, 2019, from Guruvayur for the possession of two kilograms of ganja. Renjith, who was taken to the godown of a toddy shop at Pavaratty and assaulted brutally, died in the evening, stated the chargesheet.