Mavelikkara: It seems Kerala police won't mend their ways even as atrocities blamed on them are reported ad nauseam. Even as the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called a meeting of police officers on Tuesday amid the row over recent police excesses, it has come to light that a prisoner who was witness to the brutal assault of another inmate at the Mavelikkara jail in Kerala's Alappuzha district has been tortured by cops.
Though the latter, M J Jacob, was found dead in his cell in March, the witness has been at the receiving end of cops for reporting to investigators that he had seen cops assaulting the former, hours before his death which was passed of as suicide due to choking on handkerchief.
Kayamkulam native Unnikrishnan stated that three cops Buhrai, Binoy and Sujith had assaulted Jacob, an accused in an insurance fraud case. Unnikrishnan made the revelations to reporters while he was brought to the Mavelikkara judicial first-class magistrate court in connection with another case on Tuesday.
"Around 11 pm on March 21, I heard screams from cell number 11. I was in the nearby cell and when I looked through the window, I saw cops beating up a person. During the assault, Jacob managed to give them a slip and ran. But I saw the jail wardens assaulting him again outside my cell number 9," Unnikrishnan said at the court premises.
Unnikrishnan filed a petition to the judicial first-class magistrate apprising it of torture by cops after giving statement to the magistrate in connection with Jaocb's death and that he feared custody death.
After the magistrate asked Unnikrishnan to give in a written complaint, seeking protection for life, he did so.
The petition said that he was put up in a narrow room at the Viyur Central Jail as per the instructions from the Mavelikara sub-jail, and that he was physically assaulted and tortured by not giving food or water.
Rules to be made stringent
Amid earlier reports that said Jacob killed himself after stuffing handkerchief in his mouth, authorities have been asked to strictly follow the rule of frisking of prisoners at the special jail. The prisoners brought on remand to the cell should only wear their clothes. After a prisoner tried to commit suicide by consuming mosquito coil, authorities had banned the practice of letting the prisoners take them to the cell.
The jail authorities have to check with the prisoner on the health condition along with the medical check-up, the order says.
When relatives bring in medicines along with the doctor's prescription, jail authorities, if needed, should also contact the doctor and verify.
Jail authorities have been cautioned amid row over deaths at prisons.
Cop suspended
Meanwhile, assistant prison officer Sujith Kumar has been suspended in connection with Jacob's death in jail. Sujith had frisked Jacob when he was brought to the jail.
A detailed investigation into the issue, including lapses from the part of the jail authorities, would be made by prison DIG (north region) Sam Thankayyan.
DGP (prison) Rishi Raj Singh also instructed DIG (south region) S Santhosh, who conducted the preliminary probe and further investigation, to submit his report within a week.
Jacob, a native of Kumarakom in Kottayam district, was found dead in the prison on March 21. Santhosh had conducted a preliminary probe March 24, and submitted a report to the DGP on April 4. Based on this report, the cop was suspended after three months.
Jacob managed to reach the cell with the handkerchief, and this was pointed out as a lapse from the part of the cop who carried out the frisking. Jacob was found dead with the handkerchief struck in this throat.
The cop was suspended after Santhosh apprised Rishi Raj Singh on the details of the further probe and the first investigation report.
Panel seeks report
Kottayam: National Minorities Commission vice-chairman George Kurian has sought an explanation from the Chief Secretary and the state police chief over Jacob's death. The report has to be submitted within 15 days.
