Kerala BJP seeks CBI probe into Kalabhavan Mani’s death

Mystery deepens as police say they are yet to confirm whether it was a case of murder or suicide.

Police have intensified the investigation into Kalabhavan Mani's death after the chemical examination report by the Regional Chemical Examiner’s Laboratory in Kochi showed presence of chlorpyrifos, a highly poisonous insecticide, in the actor’s viscera samples

The mystery over the death of leading south Indian actor Kalabhavan Mani continues with police on Sunday saying they were yet to confirm whether it was a murder or suicide case, even as the state BJP demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into it.

Crime Branch Superintendent of Police P.N. Unni Rajan, head of the special investigation team probing Mani’s death, visited the actor’s outhouse ‘Padi’ on Sunday here, where he was found in a miserable condition before being shifted to a hospital. He examined the evidences found at the outhouse.

‘Probe is on’

“We will thoroughly examine all aspects on the issue, but we are yet to confirm whether the actor’s demise was a murder or suicide. As the investigation is progressing, I cannot divulge any further details related to the case,” he told reporters here after the visit.

Various aspects including the bank details, financial transactions of Mani, and the mystery behind the finding of insecticides at the outhouse would be investigated, police sources said.

We should end the mystery: Kummanam

Meanwhile, BJP State president Kummanam Rajasekharan, who visited Mani’s family members on Sunday, said a CBI inquiry should be ordered, if necessary, to end the mystery over the death.

Criticising state police, he said police had “failed to make any breakthrough” in the case even after several days of the incident.

Chlorpyrifos in viscera samples

Police had intensified the investigation after the chemical examination report by the Regional Chemical Examiner’s Laboratory in Kochi showed presence of chlorpyrifos, a highly poisonous insecticide, in Mani’s viscera samples.

Investigation team had carried out a search at ‘padi’ and recovered some chemicals on Saturday.

4 aides taken into custody

Police had also taken into custody four aides of the actor for detailed interrogation.

Mani’s family members including his wife Nimmi and brother RLV Ramakrishnan voiced suspicion about the involvement of the his friends and aides in his mysterious death.

Mani (45), who had carved a niche for himself in the Malayalam and Tamil film industry, was undergoing treatment for liver and kidney diseases at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences for some time when he died on March 6.

Police had registered a case of unnatural death after AIIMS doctors said that traces of methyl alcohol were found in his blood.