The Crime Branch (CB) investigating the custodial death of Rajkumar, 49, allegedly at the hands of the Idukki police has factored in a damning Prisons Department report that stated that local law enforcers had admitted him to the sub-jail at Peerumade in a physically debilitated state and without prior medical examination.
Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Rishiraj Singh, who vetted the internal inquiry report, had told the State that Rajkumar could not eat or use the toilet without help. The prison Superintendent had admitted Rajkumar as an inmate at 1.20 a.m. The CB was probing whether the jail authorities had denied Rajkumar timely treatment.
Meanwhile, Rajkumar’s family met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and aired their scepticism of the CB probe. They requested him to authorise an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The family also accused the Idukki police of a cover-up and sought the removal of the SP, Idukki. They told Mr. Vijayan that the injuries found on Rajkumar’s body indicated prolonged torture, especially the crush injuries on his thigh and lash marks on the feet. Later, the family told journalists that Mr. Vijayan had requested them to trust the government and promised quick action. Hence, they have temporarily set aside their plan to agitate in the capital.
Meanwhile, the State Human Rights Commission has sought a report on Rajkumar’s death from the State police.
According to a Kochi report, Kerala High Court informally asked the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Thodupuzha, to inquire whether the magistrate before whom the police produced Rajkumar had followed the legal procedures for remanding him.
