Left-liberal media, Urban Naxals silent
Sreejith,26, young BJP worker was arrested on April 6 and he died in a private hospital on April 9, of course owing to inhuman custodial torture he underwent for nearly three consecutive days. Sreejith was arrested in connection with the suicide of one Vasudevan in Varappuzha, a small town between Kochi and North Parur. Vasudevan was beaten by a band of people who barged into his house and attacked him a few days before. The man committed suicide after the attack. Sreejith was booked in connection with these two incidents. But Vasudevan’s son Vinish told that police had caught Sreejith by mistake as he was not one among the people who attacked his father; he had not included Sreejith’s name in the complaint he lodged in connection with the suicide of his father. In fact, both boys were friends and used to go to work together. Sreejith was arrested by mufti policemen while sleeping at home in the night. Police dragged him to the courtyard of the house and brutally kicked and beat him in front of his mother, wife and child. The policemen showered dirty abuses on Sreejith’s family people when they tried to guard Sreejith from the torture. Then they drove him to the police station. They kept on beating him in the vehicle. They continued the torture in the police station.
Even though Sreejith had complained to the police about pain in the abdomen and block in urinary passage, it fell on deaf ears. It is reported that he had vomited in the police station several times. His mother told the media that he was not given water to drink even though he kept on begging for it in her presence. When she brought food for him, the policemen shouted at her and drove her away. At last he was admitted in a hospital during the middle of the night of April 7.
Mediamen have tracked the hospital records which suggest that 75% of his intestine had been seriously ruptured and most of the internal organs were nonfunctional. All of them were heavily damaged and blood pressure was extremely high. Then the doctors carried out surgery of his intestine. Forensic experts echo this assumption. Thereafter his condition deteriorated and he died around 5.30 pm on April 9.
State Human Rights Commission Chairman said that all circumstantial evidences are against the police. They violated all Supreme Court rulings. He wondered if any arrest report has been made. He remembered that this criminal offence was going on while he was sharing the dais with the DG of state police; DG told on that occasion that 99% of the police force is good while 1% is bad. He has initiated a suo moto case against the police. He has asked the DG of Police to take strict actions against the guilty policemen.
When the body was on the way home after the post mortem BJP leaders and workers blocked the high way in Varappuzha, the native place of Sreejith; they carried his dead body while blocking the road linking Kochi and the famous temple town Guruvayoor. They demanded immediate action against the guilty policemen, proper inquiry into the custodial death, Rs 25 lakhs compensation to the bereaved family and a government job for Sreejith’s widow. Thousands of RSS-BJP-BMS workers participated in the protest. At last district collector and district superintendent of police came to the spot and discussed with the leaders. The dead body was taken to the deceased’s house only after collector declared that three policemen were suspended and an enquiry team led by an IG of Police has been formed. Collector said that the last two demands will be considered immediately. The dead body was cremated in the presence of the leaders belonging to RSS and RSS-inspired organizations.
A night after the cremation of the dead body, Parameshwaran, CPM branch secretary and a neighbor of Vasudevan, told the media that he had not seen Sreejith attacking Vasudevan. He has not given any statement to the police that he saw the attack. He even said that he was not even contacted by the police in this regard. While the attack on Vasudevan’s house was taking place he was at work which is far away from his residential area. Apparently a TV channel had displayed the copy of his statement saying that he saw Sreejith attacking Vasudevan. Janam TV channel showed, in its telecast, the copy of the attendance register of his work place. His signature is very much there which establishes that Parameshwaran was not an eye witness of the attack on Vasudevan.
The whole episode suggests that something fishy is happening. Many questions remain unanswered:
1) If the son of the late Vasudevan has not complained to the police against Sreejith for attacking his father who did operate behind the curtain to see that Sreejith was booked?
2) What is the real fact behind Parameshwaran’s statement and his denial later ? Are the statement and his signature are fabricated ones?
3) Who was particular to book Sreejith even though he had nothing to do with the attack on Vasudevan?
4) What was the motive behind unleashing inhuman torture on Sreejith which reminds the darkest days of Emergency of 1975 – 1977?
5) Now, Sreejith’s brother Sajith who was arrested along with him is released for couple of days in connection with the death and the related rituals. He is afraid of what lays in store for him when he goes back to the station. He told the media that he did not know if he was going to come back home in the present shape after the stint in the police station. He added that the sub inspector had warned him against not disclosing the happenings in the police station to the media men.
There are reports from Varappuzha that police arrested Sreejith and his brother Sajith in accordance with the list given by the local CPM men. CPM was trying to save the actual culprits and trap the innocent BJP men. Parameshwaran’s witness statement, even though now he goes back on it, vindicates this argument. No doubt, CPM is worried about the growing influence of RSS and the inspired organizations in North Parur and the nearby places.
BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan visited Sreejith’s home and consoled the bereaved family. He demanded a judicial inquiry into the custodial death. He came down heavily on CM Pinarayi Vijayan for keeping mum even after 48 hours since the death of Sreejith. He has failed in running the home ministry; therefore, he should immediately give up the home ministry.
The same time reports suggest that Santosh (27), a poor Dalit in Palakkad, Kerala, committed suicide due to the alleged harassment by the additional police inspector. The incident took place on April 10, the day Sreejith’s dead body underwent post mortem. Apparently he had been taken into custody some time back in connection with a case for pelting stones at a bus. Later on police had formulated a compromise formula under which Santosh and the other accused ones had to pay an amount of money. Others paid it, but, Santosh did not have money hence asked for some time. But, the police asked him to pay the money immediately otherwise he had to face dire consequences. His family members told the media that he committed suicide due to fear psychosis immediately after receiving a call from the additional sub-inspector.
This is the way police operates in the God’s Own Country! The force is a tool in the hands of the CPM leaders for state terror. BJP leaders alleged that when they met DGP some time back for discussing an issue they were told to see M.V. Jayarajan, the CM’s advisor in police matters. Since Jayarajan is the Man Friday of the CM, Sreejith incident is not a surprise to any.
Observers and experts believe that the criminalization of police force happens because of the political influence in the appointments and transfers of the officers. Recently a group of police officers participated in their association conference wearing red shirts and the group photo was posted in social media. An RTI document reportedly says that 1219 policemen and officers are involved in different criminal cases including custody deaths, drugs, etc. They include DySPs and other officers. Most of them posted in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram, that is 215 men.
Discussion about this post