Kerala: Tripunithura man dies in police custody; officer suspended

A man died in police custody at Tripunithura near Kochi, leading to the suspension of an officer, who had allegedly beaten up the victim.

The incident occurred on Saturday evening when the victim, father of two children, did not stop his motorbike when asked to pull over by a team from Hill Palace police station which was carrying out routine checking.

The man was chased down by the police team and according to a woman claiming to be an eyewitness to the incident, one of the officers slapped the victim when he took off his helmet. The woman told media that the man was then bundled into the police vehicle and taken away. “Later in the night, I heard the news that he had died,” she said.

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As angry locals reached the police station and threatened to hold a protest outside it, the officer concerned was suspended by police. A senior police officer of Kochi city confirmed the suspension and said an inquiry has been initiated into the matter.

“We are awaiting the post-mortem report to ascertain the cause of death and will proceed further according to the report,” he said.

Locals told reporters that the victim was asked to take a breath analyser test after being chased down and it had indicated that he was not drunk. According to the woman and some others, the victim told the police that he did not stop as he was scared. “Who will now look after his wife and two children,” they asked.

(With Agency inputs)