KALPETTA: The tribal youth who was arrested by the Sultan Bathery police on charges of car theft despite him claiming that he doesn’t know how to drive has said that he had only leaned on the car which led to an argument with its owner.
Deepu Raghavan said the case was fabricated and that he was brutally beaten up in police custody. The 22-year-old was released from jail on Saturday after the Sultan Bathery Judicial First Class Magistrate Court granted him bail.
“It is true that I went to Sultan Bathery on November 5. I was drunk that day. The owner of the car got angry when he saw me leaning on his vehicle parked near the road. He started arguing with me. Then the local residents gathered around us.
The owner later alleged that I tried to steal his car, following which the residents informed the police. I was later beaten up in custody. The police also charged me with two other theft cases registerd at Meenangadi police station as my house is located in that area,” said Deepu, who belongs to the Paniya community (Scheduled Tribe).
Deepu spent 21 days in remand in District Jail, Mananthavady. He has also been granted bail in the cases registered by Meenangadi police. The arrest of the youth, who allegedly did not know driving, in a car theft case had triggered a controversy. His family members and social activists allged that the case was fabricated. The Kerala State Human Rights Commission will hear the petition submitted by Deepu’s kin on December 14.
“The police turned the trivial matter into a theft attempt. They arrested Deepu because he is a tribal. He was charged with two other cases of theft in Meenangadi to cover up the mistake made by the police in Sultan Bathery. As we proceeded with the strike, the police told us that they had committed a mistake and that we should end our strike,” said tribal activist Ammini K Wayanad.
SP: Cops did not initiate any compromise talks
Wayanad SP Arvind Sukumar denied that police had initiated compromise talks with the family of Deepu or his acquaintance. “The youth had tried to start the car without the permission of the owner and the car moved. Local residents caught him and informed the police. Maybe his family is unaware of the crime but it is the duty of the police to explain the case and investigation procedure with the family. That we did. Sultan Bathery DySP is in charge of the investigation right now,” said Arvind Sukumar.