Headlines
Left seeks tough action over Kerala 'custodial death'
Kottayam (Kerala), July 12
The opposition Left
Front in Kerala is demanding "tough action" against police officials in
Kottayam district over the death of a 40-year-old labourer allegedly in
police custody.
The Left Front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist has called for a district shutdown on Monday over the incident.
The
opposition is demanding tough action against officials of
Marangatupally police station who allegedly beat to death labourer Siby,
who was picked up on June 29 who got into a brawl on getting drunk.
Police
maintain that Siby suffered a head injury before he was taken into
custody. A 17-year-old boy has been detained for causing the injury
during the brawl.
Angry residents damaged a police vehicle in
Marangatupally on Sunday morning to vent their anger against the alleged
police brutality.
After the autopsy at the Government Medical
College and Hospital in Kottayam got over on Sunday, a large crowd of
people gathered there and after receiving the body took it in a
procession to his home town in Marangatupally.
Chief Minister
Oommen Chandy has said that if there has been any wrongdoing, strict
action will be taken against the guilty, while Home Minister Ramesh
Chennithala has ordered a Crime Branch probe into the incident.
State Congress president V.M. Sudheeran on Sunday told reporters that police "should behave well" with people.
"Chennithala
has already promised that the guilty will not be spared, and in no way
custodial deaths will be tolerated in Kerala," Sudheeran said.
Meanwhile,
former government chief whip and legislator P.C. George told IANS that
he has come to know that in the police station Siby was "brutally
assaulted".
When his aged parents came, they were shocked to see their son, he said.
"Following
the assault, Siby passed stool and urinated in the police station. When
his parents came, the police officials made his parents clean up the
station. Despite their fervent pleas, Siby was not allowed to go with
his parents.
"It was only the next morning that police sensed
that Siby's condition was bad, and admitted him to the Kottayam Medical
College and Hospital. After battling for life, he passed away yesterday
(Saturday)," George said.