Varapuzha custodial death: Three accused say Sreejith was innocent

Kochi: The Varapuzha custody death case took a  new turn on Saturday with three of the accused disclosing that S.R. Sreejth, who died allegedly due to police torture, was not involved in the attack on the residence of C.M. Vasudevan on April 6. The first, second and third accused in the assault case, who surrendered before the judicial first class magistrate at north Paravur, dodging the police,  told mediapersons  that Sreejith had no role in the attack.     The three are  Vibin of Thalayonichira Veedu,  K.B. Ajith  of Kunjathuparambil and Sreejith Madhalkkaran. The attack on the residence of Vasudevan on April 6 leading to his alleged suicide triggered the police action and the arrest of Sreejith.      

Sources said Sreejith had been mistakenly taken into custody for Thulasidas alias Sreejith, another accused in the house assault case. The Crime Brach, in a report submitted before the Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court earlier, had confirmed that Sreejith and nine others were wrongly arraigned as an accused  over the suicide of Vasudevan. The probe team said that  at least seven of the accused, including Sreejith, were not present at the location during the attack against Vasudevan’s house.

Hence, the charge of abetment of suicide under IPC section 306 shall not hold against them. The three who have surrendered before the court were remanded in  custody for 14 days even as the Special Investigation Team moved a petition to get them in custody for a detailed interrogation. According to preliminary investigations,  the three had gone into hiding at  Thodupuzha and Coorg in Karnataka following Vasudevan’s suicide.