Peermade: The probe into the Nedumkandam custodial death case has exposed chilling instances of human rights violation by cops in Kerala’s Idukki district. It has come to light that it was not just financier Kumar, who later died in custody, who was subjected to torture by cops at the Nedumkandam police station. Kumar's aides Shalini Hariharan and Manju have alleged that they were subjected to cruel and repulsive treatment by police while in custody.
Recounting her ordeal, Shalini, a key figure in Kumar's Haritha Finance, said that women cops rubbed green chillies on her private parts during questioning.
Manju also had to bear with the brutal assault, Shalini pointed out.
She further alleged that the cops behaved rudely with them and insulted them with sexual innuendoes.
"After assaulting Kumar, women cops, on the instruction of SI K A Sabu, assaulted us. The assaulted was carried out to know about the money collected," she said.
Shalini, who is said to be holding key information on the activities of Kumar's financial firm and people linked to it, also claimed that she had witnessed the police assaulting Kumar. "I did not know a fraud was happening in my name. Kumar made me the MD of the firm. Kumar set up a finance establishment and gave salaries to the employees.
"When I asked Kumar on how he planned to repay the people's money, he said that he had Rs 4.60 crore with him from the sale of a property in Kuttikanam. And that he had given it to an advocate named Nazar," Shalini explained.
She further said that Kumar did not have any investments in banks.
"Several cops had sought bribe after the office was started at Thookupalam. SI Sabu had demanded Rs 5,000 from Kumar. He was asked to personally hand over the money at the quarters. However, this money was not given till he was taken into custody," she said.
SI K.A. Sabu and civil police officer Sajeev Antony are already in custody over Kumar's death. Two more cops who are accused in the custodial death case are likely to surrender soon.
Kumar, a native of Kolahalamedu at Vagamon in Kottayam, was detained in connection with an alleged financial scam on June 12. The 49-year-old died on June 21 while he was in remand at the Peermade sub-jail. Shalini and Manju are second and third accused in the same case.
Shalini has been asked to appear before the Crime Branch probe team on Tuesday. Shalini, who was out on bail last week, did not turn up at her home for a while, triggering several speculations. However, she later emerged and told reporters that she had only gone to a relative's house at Thiruvalla.
Search for Rs 1.5 cr
The ongoing Crime Branch probe too has found that the police brutally assaulted Kumar in order to retrieve the money involved in the financial fraud.
After checking the documents found at Kumar's house and those with Shalini and Manju, the Nedumkandam cops established that financial deals of Rs 1.5 crore had indeed taken place.
Meanwhile, the Crime Branch has received information that a few cops objected to the barbaric assault on Kumar for four consecutive days. The cops had also told the cops accused of his murder that Kumar would die if the assault continued.
The state government has already constituted a special team of the Crime Branch to investigate the custodial death. The team had found that the victim was subjected to brutal torture at the Nedumkandam police station between June 12 and 20. The government has also announced a judicial investigation into the incident.