Nedumkandam custodial death: CBI names former DySP as accused

KOCHI: The CBI team probing the Nedumkandam custodial death case has filed a supplementary charge sheet by naming former Kattapana DySP PP Shams as an accused for concealing the information about the custody of Rajkumar.

The CBI also recommended departmental action against former Idukki SP KB Venugopal, the five doctors who treated Rajkumar, the forensic expert who conducted the post-mortem and the Peermade jail authorities over the lapses in the custodial procedures.

Vagamon native Kumar alias Rajkumar, who was taken into police custody in connection with a financial fraud case, died after he was subjected to brutal torture by the police. The CBI had filed the first charge sheet in February last year, naming Sub-inspector KA Sabu, ASI CB Rejimon, police drivers CPO PS Niaz, senior CPO Sajeev Antony, Home Guard KM James, CPO Jithin K George, ASI Roy P Varghese, senior CPO Biju Lukos and Women CPO Geethu Gopinath as accused in the case.

The Nedumkandam police arrested Rajkumar, a native of Vagamon, on June 12, 2019, in connection with the Haritha Finance scam. However, without recording his custody, he was brutally beaten for four days in a bid to recover the money. On June 21, Rajkumar died in jail after his health condition worsened. Following the incident, 52 police officers of Nedunkandam police station were transferred. The investigation was handed over to the CBI after allegations of custodial death were raised.