Hawala deal fatal, Tamil Nadu cops in dock

THRISSUR: The relatives of a 40-year-old autorickshaw driver who was taken into custody by a special investigation team (SIT) from Tamil Nadu for alleged robbery of hawala money and died in judicial custody at Coimbatore Central Jail has alleged gross violation on the part of Tamil Nadu police in connection with the case. Yogesh T.R, along with four others were picked up from the Varandarappilly Police Staion limit on May 10 by Tamil Nadu cops who came in two vehicles.

Relatives of Yogesh here said that the TN Police and the hawala delears involved in the case have worked hand-in-glove and they also did not get any help from local police after he was ‘abducted’ from Varandarappilly. According to the relatives of Yogesh, after he was ‘abducted’ they received two calls to hand over '5 lakh for his release and when his brother reached Coimbatore, Yogesh was kept in a godown in Madukkarai and had suffered severe torture. They say it was not TN cops but a hawala gang accompanied by some cops had ‘abducted’ the victim from his village in Thrissur.

“Four days after his arrest, the Madukkarai police registered a case on a complaint they received on May 13. Then Yogesh was remanded in the court on May 14 and he died in judicial custody on May 22,” the nephew of the victim Rahul P.B. said.  He said that the name and phone number of  Muhammed Ali Shihab, who called him demanding money for the release of Yogesh had been handed over to both TN and Kerala police but no action has been taken in this regard.

The relatives of Yogesh who were witnesses of the post mortem held in Coimbatore said that colour of his body has turned dark after being severely thrashed and he had injuries on his neck. The Race Course Police has registered a case for custodial death and the reason for death was  shown as heart attack in FIR, they said. Varandarapilly SI Anoop A. said that after Yogesh and others were picked up by the SIT from TN, the cops did not inform Kerala Police and that was a lapse on their part.

“When we contacted them, the TN police said that they have taken them into custody,” he added. The alleged robbery of the hawala money was from a jewellery owner in Palakkad near TN border. “The Crime Branch in Thrissur is inquiring into the event and the details of the threat call from the internet the family of the deceased received in Malayalam against their attempt to access Yogesh’s post mortem report has been handed over to cyber cell,” Varandarappilly SI A. Anoop said.