Father says police killed his son, but cops rubbish charge
The image of Kerala police took a beating after reports surfaced of the death of Sampath, 26, in police custody on March 29. He was the main accused in the sensational Puthoor Sheela murder case. She was killed on March 22, 2010, in the day light at her house in Palakkad and her mother Karthiyayani (70) was also brutally attacked.
The police claimed that Sampath developed chest pain and was taken to Palakkad District Hospital where he was declared dead. However, people are not willing to believe the police story. They accused the cops of killing him. The cops rubbished the charge. However, the High Court has asked the police to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigatoin (CBI).
Based on a petition filed by Sampath’s brother and father, the court doubts the police version. Besides, Justice V Ramkumar feels that the cops are hiding the role played by then Superintendent of Police P. Vijaya Sakhare in this case. The Crime Branch of police had taken over the Sheela murder case days after the incident.
Justice Ramkumar expressed shock at lock ups being converted into killing chambers. He said he could not believe that 14 officers accused in the Sampath case are absconding and could not be arrested. He ordered the immediate handing of the related documents to the CBI Kochi Unit superintendent.
The counsel of Sampath’s family members alleged that since Sheela was the sister of a top IAS official in Tourism Department, a high-level interference resulted in the custodial death.
The court pointed out that according to post-mortem report there were 63 injuries on Sampath’s body. It is alleged that reports showed that electric shock was applied on the victim during interrogation. After this incident the credibility of the state police force, which is supposed to be the protector of people’s life and properties, is at stake.
But Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan lost no time in stating that the judge has taken a biased view of the case while handing over the case to the CBI. Kerala Home Ministry boasts of police reforms and of late many police stations have been converted into Janamaithri (people friendly) police stations.
But with such cases coming to the fore, people will stop trusting the police force, according to activists. They said the police still used third-degree methods to divulge information from alleged culprits. Several custodial deaths during the Left Democratic Front (LDF) have tarnished the image of the police in the state.
The image of Kerala police took a beating after reports surfaced of the death of Sampath, 26, in police custody on March 29. He was the main accused in the sensational Puthoor Sheela murder case. She was killed on March 22, 2010, in the day light at her house in Palakkad and her mother Karthiyayani (70) was also brutally attacked.
The police claimed that Sampath developed chest pain and was taken to Palakkad District Hospital where he was declared dead. However, people are not willing to believe the police story. They accused the cops of killing him. The cops rubbished the charge. However, the High Court has asked the police to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigatoin (CBI).
Based on a petition filed by Sampath’s brother and father, the court doubts the police version. Besides, Justice V Ramkumar feels that the cops are hiding the role played by then Superintendent of Police P. Vijaya Sakhare in this case. The Crime Branch of police had taken over the Sheela murder case days after the incident.
Justice Ramkumar expressed shock at lock ups being converted into killing chambers. He said he could not believe that 14 officers accused in the Sampath case are absconding and could not be arrested. He ordered the immediate handing of the related documents to the CBI Kochi Unit superintendent.
The counsel of Sampath’s family members alleged that since Sheela was the sister of a top IAS official in Tourism Department, a high-level interference resulted in the custodial death.
The court pointed out that according to post-mortem report there were 63 injuries on Sampath’s body. It is alleged that reports showed that electric shock was applied on the victim during interrogation. After this incident the credibility of the state police force, which is supposed to be the protector of people’s life and properties, is at stake.
But Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan lost no time in stating that the judge has taken a biased view of the case while handing over the case to the CBI. Kerala Home Ministry boasts of police reforms and of late many police stations have been converted into Janamaithri (people friendly) police stations.
But with such cases coming to the fore, people will stop trusting the police force, according to activists. They said the police still used third-degree methods to divulge information from alleged culprits. Several custodial deaths during the Left Democratic Front (LDF) have tarnished the image of the police in the state.
Read these article :-
