KOTTAYAM: In a major relief to the police, the post-mortems of the couple who committed suicide after the husband was quizzed by the police in a gold missing case, have found no marks of physical assault on the bodies. The post-mortem conducted at the Government Medical College, Kottayam, found the death was due to poisoning.
Forensic experts discovered the presence of cyanide in both victims. Sunil Kumar, 31, and his wife Reshma, 27, from Puzhavath near Changanassery, committed suicide on Wednesday afternoon after Changanassery SI Shameer Khan interrogated Sunil on the basis of a complaint filed by E A Sajikumar, a local CPM leader. He runs a gold ornaments’ business where Sunil was working as a goldsmith.
Though two minor contusions on the back of both arms were detected in the postmortem of Sunil, those were not owing to any physical assault, according to the police.
Meanwhile, blood samples and internal organs were sent to the chemical lab for the final confirmation of the cause of death.
Earlier, a detailed inquest was done in the presence of Changanassery tahsildar Geo T Manoj and later by Pala RDO Anil Oommen. The bodies of the victims were handed over to relatives by evening. The cremation will be held on Friday.
District police chief Hari Sankar said no physical assault was detected in the CCTV visuals at the Changanassery police station as well. “We will continue an impartial and transparent probe and will arrive at a final conclusion on the basis of scientific evidence,” he said.
On Friday, the investigation officer and DCRB DySP Prakash will interrogate Rajesh, Sunil’s colleague at Sajikumar’s ornament production unit. Rajesh was also summoned to the police station along with Sunil, on the basis of Sajikumar’s complaint. Notably, Rajesh told reporters on Thursday that he was not physically tortured by the police.
With no evidence against physical assault against the police, it is learnt that an abetment of suicide charge is unlikely to stand.
Meanwhile, the UDF and the BJP observed hartal in Changanassery taluk in protest against the death, alleging police torture forced them to commit suicide. Minor incidents of violence marked the hartal with UDF followers blocking KSRTC buses and clashed with the police.