One of the longest solitary protests in front of the Secretariat here came to an end on Wednesday when Sreejith called off his 782-day agitation soon after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recorded his statement regarding his brother Sreejeev's alleged custodial death.
In the morning, Sreejith, accompanied by his mother Ramani, arrived at the CBI office in the capital to give his statement. The agency had earlier this month announced its decision to take up the case following persistent demands from the State government and Opposition leaders. But Sreejith had maintained that he would not end the protest until the inquiry process begins.
Sreejeev was arrested by the Parassala police on May 19, 2014 for allegedly stealing a mobile phone. He was admitted to Government Medical College Hospital here the next day with the police claiming that he had consumed poison in the cell. He died in the hospital on May 21, 2014. Sreejith had refuted the police’s version of his brother’s death. According to him, the police had foisted false charges and arrested his brother as he was in a relationship with a woman who was related to a policeman. The Police Complaints Authority’s findings also corroborated Sreejith’s version of custodial torture leading to Sreejeev’s death.Though Sreejith’s one-man protest in front of the Secretariat here had gone largely unnoticed over the past two years, it suddenly came into the public limelight through a social media campaign earlier this month, leading to a massive gathering of youths in his support. Politicians, film stars and the general public made a beeline for the protest venue, where Sreejith has been waging a lone battle braving rain and shine.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had called Sreejith and his mother for a meeting on January 15 and assured them of the State government’s support for the CBI inquiry.
