KOCHI: A circle inspector-ranked police officer under suspension was found dead hanging in a tree near Ambedkar Stadium in the city on Wednesday morning. Police suspect it to be a case of suicide as the deceased officer was wanted by the Crime Branch in a rape case.
The deceased is A C Saiju, a native of Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram. The body was found at an isolated plot behind a chicken stall on the eastern side of Ambedkar Stadium near Ernakulam Bus Station around 7 am. A resident who found the body hanging on a tree informed the police. The identity of the deceased was confirmed from the ID card recovered from the pocket.
According to the police, Saiju stayed with his family in Thiruvananthapuram. He left the house on Tuesday. He was accused in a case of raping a doctor while serving at Malayankeezhu police station between 2019 and 2022. He had obtained bail in the case which was revoked by the Kerala High Court after it was revealed that he used forged documents to obtain bail.