Law student’s death: accused inspector placed under suspension

Chief Minister promises justice to the victim’s family and stern action against the officer

A day after the Congress raised a storm demanding the suspension of inspector C.L. Sudheer who was named in a note left behind by a young law student who allegedly took her life owing to domestic violence and dowry-related harassment, the State Government suspended the officer on Friday morning.

State Police Chief Anil Kant ordered his suspension pending a departmental inquiry. Mr. Sudheer was initially removed from the charge of the Aluva East police station and was later transferred to the police headquarters. This had not gone down well with the Congress. Party activists had attempted to storm the office of the District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural), leading to a pitched battle with the police on Thursday.

The note left behind by Mofia Parveen, 21, ended with a “final wish”, demanding action against her husband Mohammed Suhail and his family and also the inspector. She accused the officer of speaking very rudely to her in front of her husband and father when they were summoned to the station in connection with a domestic violence complaint she had filed a month ago.

Two separate internal inquiry reports were submitted on Mr. Sudheer. While Neeraj Kumar Gupta, DIG, Ernakulam Range, submitted a report to the State Police Chief, Aluva Deputy Superintendent of Police P.K. Sivankutty gave another report to the District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural).

The move to suspend the officer came just hours after Industries Minister P. Rajeeve visited the victim’s house at Edayapuram in Aluva and met her parents almost as an emissary of the Chief Minister. He put the victim’s father Dilshad on phone with the Chief Minister who promised justice to the family and strict action against the officer.

Mr. Rajeeve said stern measures would be taken against the guilty. “The Government is with the victim’s family, and the guilty will not be protected. No compromise will be made in the pursuit of justice for the family. An inquiry is on against the officer, and actions will be taken in compliance with formalities,”he said.

Mr. Dilshad said the Chief Minister had given his number to contact him if he found any issues with the ongoing probe. “The Chief Minister clarified that the transfer of the officer to the police headquarters was part of formalities. We are fully satisfied with the ongoing probe and feel very relieved after the Chief Minister’s assurance,” he added.

Cong. calls off protest

Meanwhile, the Congress called off its protest in front of the Aluva East police station demanding the suspension of the officer. Benny Behanan, MP, and party legislators Anwar Sadat, Roji M. John, and Eldhose Kunnapillil had been staging a sit-in in front of the station.

District Congress Committee (DCC) president Mohammed Shiyas dubbed the action against the officer as a victory of the protest by the party.

Meanwhile, the police are set to move the court for the custody of Mohammed Suhail and his parents Rukhiya and Yousuf who were arrested under IPC Section 304B (dowry death), 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 306 (abetment of suicide), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). They were remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody on Thursday.