Kerala man dies days after cops release him, family alleges custodial torture
The family of a man who died days after being released from police custody in Kerala's Kollam district has accused police of assaulting him during
The family of a man who died days after being released from police custody in Kerala's Kollam district has accused police of assaulting him during detention. Siyad, a driver from Kundara, was taken into custody by police on June 16 in connection with a complaint about a missing boy. He was released after the boy was found the following day. His family said he had no involvement in the disappearance. Read Full Story According to the family, Siyad returned home complaining of severe body pain and said he had been brutally beaten while in police custody.
They alleged he later developed health complications, sought medical treatment, and doctors found injuries to his ribs. He died while undergoing treatment at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. In a social media post, Siyad's wife alleged that he was assaulted while being transported in a police jeep and again inside the police station. The family said they received a phone call from Siyad while he was in custody, during which he told his mother he had been beaten. They further alleged he said police threatened to assault him again and remand him.
The family also claimed officers later told the missing student that Siyad had been badly beaten after being taken into custody. "He told us the police kept hitting him. He said an officer named Sreejith assaulted him," a family member said. The family maintains that the injuries allegedly inflicted during police custody led to Siyad's death. Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday called for stringent action against those responsible, saying the allegations raised by the family were serious. In a statement, Vijayan demanded an urgent and impartial investigation and urged the government to ensure that everyone found responsible was brought to justice at the earliest.
State Tourism Minister PC Vishnunadh visited Siyad's family and assured them that the government would examine the allegations seriously. "The government will not protect police personnel who violate human rights in this manner," Vishnunadh told reporters. The minister said Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala had sought a report from the state's police chief over the custodial death allegations and that the District Crime Branch was investigating the case. Ends With PTI inputs
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