Moral policing claims teenager's life in Kerala

Moral policing has claimed the life of a teenager at Kollam district in south Kerala. The accused in the case is a jail warder. It is also suspected to be a case of mistaken identity.

Renju Krishnan, alias Renjith, 18, was allegedly roughed up by a gang led by jail warder Vineeth on February 16 at his house at Thekkumbhagam in Kollam city police limits, alleging an affair with a girl of the locality. Renju suffered serious head injuries. He succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday after nearly two weeks treatment at different hospitals.

The Thekkumbhagom police in Kollam is learnt to have already held Vineeth, who was absconding. He is jail warder at a prison in Kollam district. Murder charges are likely to be invoked against him based on the postmortem examination and other medical reports of the deceased, police sources said.

Renju had earlier told a section of media in Kollam that he had no connection with the said girl. The gang led by Vineeth pulled Renju out of his house and roughed up him in front of his mother and brother. Renju repeatedly told them that he had no relationship with the said girl. But the assault continued.

Renju was rushed to a nearby government hospital and later shifted to a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. Later he was shifted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College hospital, where he died.

Renju, son of Radhakrishnan and Rajani of Arinallor near Thekkumbhagom, was a student at an Industrial Training Institute at Chandanathoppu in Kollam. He also leaves behind one brother Rahul Krishna.

Meanwhile, there were allegations that the police did not take seriously the complaint of Renju's mother regarding the assault. Even nearly two weeks after the incident, no serious efforts were taken to nab the accused. Search for the accused was launched only by Thursday evening after the victim died and the issue snowballed into a controversy.

However, police said that the case was registered soon after the complaint was received. In order to take further steps, Renju's statement was necessary. Hence we were waiting for his condition to improve, said the police.

The body of Renju was subjected to inquest and post-mortem examination on Friday morning at Thiruvananthapuram medical college hospital.

Police also said that it was not yet sure whether more persons were accused in the case.