Kerala medical student murdered in Uzbekistan: family alleges torture, case lodged

A 22-year-old female medical student hailing from Kerala was allegedly tortured and murdered by her friend in Uzbekistan last week, police said on Thursday (July 9), adding that a murder case has been registered at the state’s Haripad police station based on a complaint by the victim’s parents to the district police chief.

Case registered in Kerala

Confirming the development, Kayamkulam Deputy SP Binukumar T told PTI that a murder case was registered at Haripad police station and a postmortem was conducted at Alappuzha Medical College.

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Elaborating further, the Deputy SP said that if the accused is prosecuted in Uzbekistan following an investigation by the authorities there, the case registered at Haripad police station would be closed.

‘Will communicate with Uzbek authorities’

"Even though the crime occurred in Uzbekistan, there are provisions to register a case here. If the police there prosecute the accused, we will close the case. If no legal action is taken there, we will pursue the case further," he said.

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The officer said the Kerala Police would communicate with the authorities in Uzbekistan through the Indian Embassy to ascertain the progress of the investigation.

"There are reports that the accused has been arrested there. We will proceed through the Ministry of External Affairs to obtain details of the case and the action being taken by the authorities in Uzbekistan," Binukumar said.

Family seek extradition

He said that parents are demanding an investigation to be conducted in Kerala and the accused be extradited from Uzbekistan.

“We will have to check for any such provision after taking legal advice and consulting with the External Affairs Ministry,” he added.

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Police said that the accused is the victim’s classmate, hailing from Malappuram, who allegedly hit her on the head during a heated argument, leading to her death.

The family of the deceased, however, told reporters that there were serious injuries all over her body.

One of the family members, who had gone to Uzbekistan to recover the body, said that he was told by investigators there that she was tortured and brutally beaten up before her death.

Family alleges torture

"She did not die because she was hit on the head with a laptop," he contended.

He also claimed that investigators there told him that the accused was seen by many students, forcing the victim to convert her religion.

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"He had brutally assaulted her a lot before killing her. So, we are seeking a postmortem here and have lodged a complaint here to ensure he does not escape if he is let off by the police in Uzbekistan," the family member contended.

He also said that the boy's parents were government employees, and his brother is a doctor.

The accused and the victim lived in the same hostel, he added.