2 cops guilty of custodial death case

KOLLAM: Two policemen were found guilty by the Additional Sessions Court VI in connection with a custody death at the Kollam East police station way back in April, 2005.

Members of the Crime Squad, Circle Inspector of Kollam East, Jayakumar, 47, and Sub Inspector Venugopal, 48, were declared guilty by judge K.S. Sarathchandran on Thursday.

They have been charged under Sections 302, 348, and 34 for murder and wrongful confinement.

The case was that on April 6, 2005, Rajendran of Raj Nivas, in Kottarakkara, had died while in police custody. The man was detained by the Kollam East Police on charges of robbery following a complaint from Sankar’s Hospital in Kollam. It was alleged that Rajendran had stolen a mobile phone from Shajahan, an in-patient.

Rajendran who was apprehended by the hospital security, was  taken into custody by the ASI of East Police station, Sadanandan. He was later taken away by SI Babu of the same station and handed over to Jayakumar and Venugopal, Crime Squad cops.

Rajendran was interrogated by the duo at the Sardar Vallabhai Patel Museum at around 2.20 pm. He was brutally assaulted and was taken to the District Hospital where the doctors declared that he was brought dead.

The prosecution cross-examined 37 witnesses out of which 34 were police officers. The sentence will be handed down on Friday.