Kerala - Kollam   

Death in custody: report points to brutal assault

By Our Staff Reporter

KOLLAM, APRIL 7. Preliminary medical examination by forensic and fingerprint experts on the body of Rajendran, 36, who died while in the custody of the Kollam East Police on Wednesday, shows that he had been subjected to brutal assault just before his death.

While the actual reasons for the cause of death will emerge only after the autopsy, the preliminary examinations point to the possibility of serious internal bleeding as the immediate cause of death.

After preliminary examination and preparation of the inquest, the body was sent to the Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram for autopsy. Rajendran's brother, Thulasidharan, and some members of the panchayat committee from Kottarakara said that they would decide on the course of action after getting the autopsy report.

Rajendran was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon from a private hospital here on charges of theft. The hospital staff alleged that they caught him red-handed and immediately informed the police. The charge against Rajendran was that he had stolen a mobile phone from a patient's room. There was reportedly a spurt in mobile phone thefts from the hospital rooms.

A mobile phone found in his possession gave room for more suspicion. Eyewitnesses said that Rajendran was seen trying to convey to the hospital staff that he was innocent and that he himself had asked the staff to call the police so that the issue could be settled.

On entering the police jeep, he was assaulted by the police for sitting on the seat. He was asked to sit on the floor of the jeep and taken away. At 6.30 p.m. he was declared dead on arrival at the district hospital.

His brother and neighbours who came to the district hospital this morning said that Rajendran worked as a salesman since the past three years and he used to regularly visit private hospital to canvas sales.

Mr. Thulasidharan said that his brother had a mobile phone and that the gadget claimed to have been seized by the hospital staff could be that of his brother's. His neighbours at Kottarakara said that Rajendran had no criminal history.

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