Indicating that the buck would not stop with the first five accused in the Varapuzha custodial death, a Crime Branch team on Wednesday interrogated A.V George, former District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural), in connection with the case.
Official sources said Mr. George was interrogated based on statements by the accused policemen that Sreejith had been taken into custody on the directive of the then District Police Chief. The investigation team headed by S. Sreejith, Inspector General of Police, Crime Branch, collected Mr. George’s statement at the Aluva Police Club here in the afternoon.
The interrogation which began in the afternoon continued till late on the day.
As part of the investigation, the team will now examine phone calls and wireless transmissions between the suspected officers since Sreejith was taken into custody. Options of arraigning Mr. George as an accused in the case and initiating departmental action are also being explored.
Earlier, the former circle inspector of North Paravur, the fifth accused in the case, had told the investigators that he had visited Varappuzha on the directive of Mr. George.
Further, the Crime Branch is also looking into whether he had attempted to protect the three members of the now-defunct Rural Tiger Force, following the finding that they took a wrong person into custody.
