Tanur custodial death: Victim’s family welcomes CBI probe announcement

MALAPPURAM: Family members of Thamir Jiffri, 30, who died in the custody of Tanur police, on Thursday welcomed the state government’s decision to transfer the probe to the CBI. The agency will soon acquire the case’s documents from the police. 

The government announced the decision to hand over the case, currently being probed by the crime branch, to the CBI on Wednesday. Thamir’s family and former leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala had advocated for a CBI probe after the autopsy report suggested Thamir suffered injuries in custody.
“CBI’s involvement is a result of our relentless pursuit of justice for Thamir. The government’s decision has brought us relief. Our hope is that our quest for justice will be fulfilled,” said Haris Puthiyamaliyekkal, Thamir’s brother.

Eight police officers were suspended following Thamir’s death. Of the suspended officers, six are from Tanur police station, while one each is from Parappanangadi and Kalpakancheri stations.

However, the family had expressed reservations with the crime branch probe, believing that the agency might try to protect the officers involved.

The autopsy report had said, “Thamir’s demise resulted from the combined effects of narcotic drug consumption and atherosclerotic occlusive coronary artery disease (coronary artery disease), compounded by numerous blunt force injuries to his body. These injuries, inflicted by multiple blunt force traumas, could have exacerbated the fatal outcome by exacerbating his coronary artery disease.”

The postmortem examination identified 21 injuries on Thamir’s body. Of these, 19 were categorised as pre-death injuries (ante-mortem), while two were determined to have occurred close to the time of death (perimortem). Specifically, Thamir suffered five injuries consistent with beatings by blunt weapons, in addition to five injuries inflicted by forceful strikes with a cylindrical object.

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