India News | Congress Demands Judicial Probe into Tribal Youth's Death in Kerala
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The opposition Congress in Kerala on Wednesday demanded a judicial probe into the death of a tribal youth who was found hanging inside a police station in Kalpetta, Wayanad, a day after being taken into custody in connection with a minor's disappearance.
Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 2 (PTI) The opposition Congress in Kerala on Wednesday demanded a judicial probe into the death of a tribal youth who was found hanging inside a police station in Kalpetta, Wayanad, a day after being taken into custody in connection with a minor's disappearance.
The demand came as the deceased's family presented documents indicating that he was a minor and had not yet turned 18.
A native of the Puthiya Paadi settlement in Ambalavayal, Wayanad, the youth was detained at the police station on Monday night in connection with a missing minor girl case. He was found hanging inside the station's toilet on Tuesday morning, according to police.
Senior Congress leader and CWC member Ramesh Chennithala strongly criticised the police and urged the government to order a judicial probe into the suspicious death.
Speaking to reporters, Chennithala stated that, according to the youth's Aadhaar card, he was still a minor when he was kept overnight at the police station.
"A judicial probe is necessary. A crime branch inquiry is not sufficient. Normally, a judicial magistrate should investigate custodial deaths," he said.
Chennithala alleged that there were "serious lapses on the part of the police".
"It appears that the youth, who was not yet 18, was kept at the police station overnight. There are also complaints that the police are refusing to show his body to his relatives," he claimed.
Meanwhile, the family-released documents suggest the deceased was born on May 30, 2007, contradicting police claims that he was 18.
The youth and the missing minor girl were taken into custody from Kozhikode by local police on Monday evening and later brought to the Kalpetta station.
"There was a complaint about a missing minor girl. The youth was also taken into custody as he was found with her," police said.
The girl was later shifted to Sakhi, a state-run women's shelter, while the youth was detained overnight as he could not be presented before a magistrate, police stated.
According to police, the youth requested to use the toilet on Monday morning. When he failed to come out, officers broke open the door and found him hanging, allegedly using his shirt.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)