District Police Chief (Kozhikode rural) A. Srinivas has ordered a thorough reinvestigation into the death of a 16-year-old student at Narikkatteri in Nadapuram last year.
The reinvestigation was ordered after the police found a video clip in which the victim was reportedly being tortured by his elder brother. Earlier, the incident was registered as a case of unnatural death by the local police under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
It was on May 17, 2020 that the body of K. Abdul Azeez was found hanging inside his house. The case was handed over to the District Crime Branch after a local action committee alleged foul play and said it distrusted the local police investigation report. However, the Crime Branch was reportedly failing to find anything suspicious in connection with the death, citing forensic and post-mortem reports.
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The latest video clip accessed by the police from social media reportedly showed the boy being choked by his elder brother. However, the police could not confirm whether it resulted in the boy’s death. As part of the probe, the brother, who was working abroad at present, would be summoned, they said.
The death of the boy took place while he was preparing for the last three SSLC exams. According to his teachers at MIM Higher Secondary School, Perode, he was a bright student with a good track record. He had secured good scores in all the exams he had attended during the first phase, they said.