Kozhikode: The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has taken up a case over the suspicious death of a tribal man on the premises of the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, two days ago.
The Commission asked the Assistant Commissioner of Police and Institute of Maternal and Child to file reports in a week, regarding the death of Vishwanathan (46).
While it was first reported Vishwanathan died by suicide, police have now changed it to unnatural death. At the same time, they say there is no evidence of lynching and there is a mark on his neck that he was strangled with a shawl.
Kalpetta MLA T Siddique said that he will file a complaint with the Director General of Police and the Chief Minister and demand investigation by a special force into the incident, so that the culprits are punished.
Kins' claim
Vishwanathan's family told Manorama News that he won't attempt suicide and the fact that his body was found hanging from 15 feet height is suspicious. “The injuries on his body and even the assumptions by the police are quite suspicious,” said his brother Raghavan.
The police have recorded the statements of the hospital staff and Vishwanathan’s relatives after his family members filed a police complaint.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the man died of strangulation, the police said.
Yasoda, Vishwanathan's sister-in-law alleged that his post-mortem was also done without the permission of the family.
The kin claimed that he was accused of stealing a mobile phone and was assaulted by a few people. They had initially said he took his life as he was upset over the allegations.
Vishwanathan, who hails from Kalpetta in Wayanad, was in the hospital accompanying his wife Bindu who was admitted in the Institute of Maternal and Child Health for her first delivery. After he was allegedlyroughed up accused of theft, Vishwanathan apparently ran away from the premises. His body was found near the old police quarters of the hospital campus.
The body was found to be two days old and had blood stains on his nose and leg.
Bindu, meanwhile, delivered a baby boy on Wednesday.
The fateful day
On Thursday, while Vishwanathan was at the waiting room for bystanders, somebody accused him of stealing a mobile phone and money. A few of them dragged him to the security personnel, though he explained he was his wife's bystander.
Though his mother-in-law Leela also tried to explain, the mob apparently didn't believe them. Apparently, though the security officials asked to file a police complaint, it wasn't done and a few people harassed Vishwanathan again. He fled from the premises, leaving his shirt, mobile phone, chappal and tiffin box in a cover.
Leela complained to Medical College Police as Vishwanathan was not to be seen until late at night on Thursday. It is also alleged that the police officer misbehaved towards Vishwanathan’s relatives who had reached the station.
Vishwanathan, a farm labourer, is the son of Soman and Patta.
Police's initial reluctance to file complaint
Vishwanathan’s brother Vinod said that the police did not register a case even though Vishwanathan’s mother-in-law had given a complaint on the same night he went missing. "The next day, I visited the police station. The police were not ready to take the case initially. The cops insulted and said sarcastically: ‘Many reach from Wayanad and say one is missing’.
They also alleged that I was drunk. When I said I am ready for the medical examination if they said I am drunk, they registered a case," said Vinod.
However, the cops initially said that Leela’s complaint was not received at the station, and they started an investigation immediately after receiving a complaint from Vinod. The cops also maintained that they had not insulted those who arrived to file the complaint.
Vishwanathan’s body would be handed over to the relatives after the postmortem.
