On Wednesday, the Crime Branch special team inquiring into the custodial torture and death of 49-year-old Rajkumar, a remand prisoner in a financial fraud case in Idukki, arrested two policemen. The arrested officers are former Nedumkandam SI KA Sabu and civil police officer Sajeev Antony.
The arrests are based on the custodial torture meted out to Rajkumar inside the Nedumkandam police station from June 12 to 15, Crime Branch special team officials said. After he was arrested, the SI collapsed and has been admitted to the Kottayam Medical College.
“The arrested policemen admitted the custodial torture, they revealed that they had tortured Rajkumar to recover the money,” said Crime Branch sources. According to the police, Rajkumar had cheated 34 self-help groups after taking money from them.
On Tuesday, the Crime Branch special team revealed that policemen in the Nedumkandam station rubbed Kantari mulagu (a type of chilli) on Rajkumar’s private parts. Apart from this, the policemen did not allow Rajkumar to sleep during the four days he was in their custody, said Crime Branch sources.
Meanwhile, Manju, third accused in the financial fraud case, on Wednesday said she had no connection with the Nedumkandam based Haritha Finance. “Only Rs 20 lakh were collected from others on the banner of the financial institution. Rajkumar managed all the financial dealings in the company. The collected money was handed over to a Malappuram native named Nasar every day at Kumily,” she said.
Kasthuri Bhavanil Rajkumar (49), a resident of Kolahalamedu in Idukki, who was arrested in a financial fraud case on June 12, was in the custody at the Nedumkandam police before he was produced in the Magisterial Court only on June 16. Rajkumar, who was admitted to the taluk hospital at Peermedu on June 21, died there on the same day.
To inquire into the custodial death, the government formed a seven-member Crime Branch team last week. The officials said they will submit an interterm report on the custodial death within two days. As part of disciplinary action, the government suspended eight policemen and transferred five others attached to the Nedumkandam police station.
The deceased’s autopsy report also revealed shocking details of custodial torture Rajkumar experienced at the hands of the police.
Meanwhile, another alleged custodial torture by the Nedumkandam police has come to light. Nedumkandam resident Hakkim, an accused in a family dispute case, on Tuesday revealed that he was tortured at the station and that he was there when Rajkumar was in custody.
Following a family dispute, Hakkim was summoned to the Nedumkandam police station on June 15. “The police attacked me brutally inside the police station without any provocation. I heard cries of someone in the lock-up and suspect that it was Rajkumar,” Hakkim claimed.
“When I was being beaten up, I was holding on to the lock-up bars in the police station. When I was continuously struck, the bars bent due to the impact. Then the police threatened me that if I didn’t repair the bars they would file a non-bailable case against me. My mother had to then get it repaired,” Hakkim said.