Kochi: Former Varapuzha sub-inspector Deepak, facing murder charges in the custodial death case of S.R. Sreejith, is known for brutally torturing culprits under his custody, says M. Smitha, former magistrate of Paravur magistrate court. In a statement before the High Court vigilance, the magistrate said Deepak is a habitual offender and had been issued warnings on many previous occasions. The statement is part of the report submitted by the High Court registrar rejecting the complaint of the police against the magistrate.
The sub-inspector has been accused of torturing the accused in previous cases too. He is also known for flouting the Supreme Court guidelines while arresting people. The magistrate informed the court that Deepak had been warned several times in this regard. When the sub-inspector came with the request for remanding Sreejith, he was informed that it was not possible without seeing the person. The magistrate also stated that Sreejith might have already been on ventilator support at that time.
The statement is expected to have an impact on the Varapuzha custody death case. The special investigation team probing the death is also expected to record the statement of the magistrate. The High Court had sought an explanation from the magistrate on the statement made by the police that she had refused to remand the accused in custody. The court is expected to deliver its verdict on a petition seeking a CBI probe into the incident on Tuesday. Sreejith’s wife has approached the HC for a CBI probe citing that a free and fair probe is impossible in a case in which police officials are the accused.
