The Crime Branch on Saturday arrested two police officers who were recently booked under Section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code in connection with the Vadakara custodial torture and death case.
Sub-Inspector Nijeesh and Civil Police Officer Prajeesh were arrested on the basis of the post-mortem examination report that there were 11 ante-mortem injuries, including lacerations, contusions and aberrations, on the body of the victim Ponmeriparambil Sajeevan, who was declared dead at the Vadakara Cooperative Hospital on July 21.
The arrested were later released on anticipatory bail granted by the Kozhikode Principal Sessions Court.
According to the Crime Branch, ill-treatment by the two police officers had triggered the cardiac arrest that Sajeevan had suffered soon after coming out of the Vadakara police station. Though the man, who was diagnosed with coronary artery disease, had complained of chest pain, there was no proper help on the part of the officers to hospitalise him.
Though the incident was initially registered as a case of unnatural death under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the post-mortem examination report findings prompted the police to add the fresh charge under Section 304 of the IPC. Two other officers, including an Assistant Sub Inspector, were excluded from the list of suspects after detailed investigation.
The death of Sajeevan, who was taken into police custody in connection with a road accident case, had triggered widespread protest in the district. Activists of various political parties had taken out protest marches to the Vadakara police station seeking action against the suspected officers. The arrest of the officers, who had been earlier placed under suspension, came after a month-long investigation into the incident.
It was some of his friends who brought to light details of the alleged custodial assault. Some of them were reportedly witness to the incident at the police station. The case, initially investigated by the local police, was handed over to the Crime Branch on the intervention of the government.
