THRISSUR: Citing the post mortem report that says Chakkandan Vinayakan suffered physical torture in 24 hours before his suicide, Thrissur Principal Sessions Judge Annie John on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of two suspended cops of the Pavaratty police station facing custodial torture charges. After the CBCID takeover of its probe from the local police they had taken CrPC 164 statements of Vinayakan’s friend and neighbour Sarath, his father Krishnankutty, and others. Sarath stood firmly by his earlier statement that he witnessed Vinayakan being subjected to severe torture in custody.
“Anticipating their arrest, senior civil police officers K. Sajan and the civil police officer Sreejith have been slapped with sections of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, IPC sections of wrongful restraint, torture and threatening. The judge in the order quashing the plea had pointed out the postmortem report,” public prosecutor and district government pleader K. D. Babu told DC. Vinayakan was picked up by cops on July 17, and he was found hanging in his bedroom the next day.
The cops are now planning to move High Court fearing an imminent arrest. The prosecution told the court that Vinayakan, picked up while speaking to his girlfriend on the road, was brutally beaten up pressing on his toes using boots, trying to pull out his hair, hitting him in the chest, forcefully squeezing both his nipples, hitting on his back with elbow making him bent down. They allegedly branded the two as chain snatchers and ganja peddlers.
