Custodial death: CBI court finds accused cops guilty

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday convicted two police officers in connection with the custodial death of a youth, in 2005. Three other officers were found guilty of forging documents and destroying evidence in a cover-up attempt.

The court found K Jithakumar and S V Sreekumar, both of whom were constables as first and second accused in the case, guilty of custodial torture that led to the death of Udayakumar (27) at the Fort Police Station in Thiruvananthapuram. T K Haridas, E K Sabu and Ajith Kumar, the officers accused of conspiracy, were assistant commissioner, circle inspector and sub-inspector respectively at the time of the incident. K V Soman, a constable and third accused in the case, had died during the trial. The court is set to pronounce the quantum of punishment on Wednesday (today).

A police team took into custody Udayakumar and his friend Suresh Kumar from the Sreekanteswaram Park in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, 2005 for suspected theft. After finding out that Udayakumar was in possession of Rs 4,020, the policemen tortured him to extract a confession, causing his death. Suresh, a witness, was among those who turned hostile after the trial in the case commenced.

The verdict by CBI special judge J Nasser 13 years after the incident also marks a significant turn in a long legal battle fought by Udayakumar’s aged mother J Prabhavathi. The custodial death continues to be a key pointer in discussions around police brutality in the state.