KOCHI: The CBI has launched a probe into the suspicious death of a 28-year-old youth whose body was found on a railway track in Kottayam in June 2017. The investigation pertains to the death of Gautam Vijayakumar, a resident of Veloor, Kottayam, who ran a business at Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram.
Around 7.15 pm on June 2, 2017, Gautam, the only son of T K Vijayakumar, left home in his car to meet a friend at Pulimootil Junction, Kottayam. At approximately 8 pm, he contacted his mother, informing her that he was on his way back.
However, he never returned. After hours of anxious waiting, his parents reported him missing to the police.
The following day, Gautam’s body was discovered on the railway track near Ottakapilmavu railway gate, close to Caritas Hospital in Kottayam.
His car was found parked about 240 m away near a level crossing. Bloodstains covered the seats, and a knife blade was recovered from the rear seat. Despite these findings, the local police concluded the case as a suicide.
Dissatisfied with the police investigation, Gautam’s parents approached the Kerala High Court, demanding a CBI probe into their son’s death. Although the CBI initially objected, citing the time lapse since the incident, the court reviewed the postmortem report and deemed the case suitable for a CBI inquiry.
The central agency has now registered the case under Section 174 of the CrPC, which pertains to unnatural deaths. A DySP from the CBI’s Thiruvananthapuram Special Crime Branch unit will lead the investigation.