Akhila, wife of Sreejith who died of injuries caused by custodial torture last month in Varappuzha in Ernakulam, has been appointed as a village assistant in the Revenue Department.
On Thursday, Ernakulam district collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla handed over the appointment order to Akhila at her home in Varappuzha.
Akhila has to join the post within 15 days. The appointment is at Paravur village office in Ernakulam, nearly 10 km from Varappuzha.
Akhila and Sreejith’s mother Syamala told media that they were happy that she got the job though it cannot replace losing Sreejith. Sreejith’s brother Ranjith told TNM that the collector also handed over a cheque for Rs 10 lakh.
“We are sad that the Chief Minister didn’t come, we expected him to come to hand over the compensation,” the family told media.
However, the family is firm that they will not step back from the demand for a CBI probe. Akhila has approached the High Court seeking a CBI investigation in the case.
The government had on May 2 announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and a government job for Akhila.
Sreejith, a 26-year-old youth from Varappuzha, was arrested on April 7 after 56-year-old Vasudevan, a man who lived near his house, hanged himself to death after a group of men came to his house and threatened him.
Sreejith was falsely accused as one of the men who threatened Vasudevan. A special squad of policemen took Sreejith and nine others into custody and charged them with abetment to suicide and rioting. After complaining of abdominal pain, Sreejith was taken to the hospital but died on April 9.
The case kicked off massive public outrage, and five policemen, including Varappuzha Sub-Inspector Deepak and Circle Inspector Crispin Sam, were arrested.
On May 11, former Ernakulam Rural Superintendent of Police AV George was suspended in connection with the case. It was the personnel under George, part of the Rural Tiger Force (RTF), who had taken Sreejith into custody. On April 21, George had been transferred to the Thrissur Police Academy. RTF was also disbanded.