Valakom witness alleges CBI torture

Kochi: Jackson Varghese, a crucial witness in the Valakom attack  case,  has raised serious allegations against the CBI,  including custodial torture.

Earlier, Jackson had deposed that he had witnessed the brutal attack carried out on R. Krishnakumar,  a school teacher, at Valakom near Kottarakara on September 27, 2011.

Pursuant to this, Jackson Varghese  was made a witness in the case. He has now moved Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail.  

The Aam Aadmi Party has pledged support to Jackson. Jackson in his plea said that the investigating agency was trying to implicate him in the case for the sole reason that he had deposed against the accused in the case.

Sources close to Jackson  also revealed that a CBI official had physically abused him during interrogation.  

According to Jackson, the  CBI officials were insisting on him to change his deposition and  state that it was his car which hit  Krishna Kumar, who was grievously injured in the incident.

Mr Manoj Padmanabhan,  state convener of Aam Aadmi Party, said the party had  decided to take up the matter and pledged its support to Jackson.

Manoj added that the CBI was trying to falsely implicate Jackson in the case.

This was a clear case of human rights violation and that persons with vested interests were torturing Jackson and his family.

“We have decided to provide him support,” he said. Jackson was earlier conducting lottery business, but owing to the case and his subsequent revelations,  he was forced to stop his business.

The High Court considered the case on Friday and  adjourned it  to next week for further consideration.