The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Lock-up death: key witness turns hostile

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Wednesday, Jul 04, 2007
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Lock-up death: key witness turns hostile

Staff Reporter

Retracts statement that he had seen Udayakumar being beaten up

Says he identified constables under pressure
Three constables were charged with murder

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Suresh Kumar, the key prosecution witness in the Udayakumar lock-up murder case, on Tuesday turned hostile before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (Fast Track III) M.R. Anitha.

Suresh Kumar along with Udayakumar, 27, a resident of Mancaud was taken into custody by the police on September 2005 after they were found in “suspicious circumstances.” Udayakumar was allegedly tortured to death in custody by the policemen who wanted to know the source of Rs. 4,020 which he was carrying with him.

The Crime Branch officials later found that Udayakumar’s mother Prabhavathi Amma had given him the money for buying clothes and provisions.

However, on Tuesday Suresh Kumar retracted his earlier statement that he had witnessed his co-prisoner being beaten up by the policemen. He told the court that he had given the statement before the magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code under pressure from the sub inspector and circle inspector.

Suresh Kumar also added that he had identified the accused constables, Jithakumar, S. Sreekumar and Soman during the identification parade conducted by the magistrate in jail after being pressured by the SI and CI. Suresh Kumar had identified the accused from among 30 persons. The Crime Branch had charged the three constables with illegal detention, torture and murder of the victim.

Meanwhile the victim’s mother, who was also examined by the court on Monday, informed that the cycle which the police produced before the court as was not her son’s. Fifty persons, including 20 policemen, have been listed witness by the prosecution in the case.

KPCC protests

General secretary of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee Joseph Vazhackan has alleged that some top police officials have played a pivotal role in turning Suresh Kumar hostile as the accused constables were members of a union owing allegiance to the Communist Party.

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