Kochi: The city police has sought explanation from 16 policemen including a Grade Sub-Inspector for handcuffing two accused in the Kathiroor Manoj murder case while being produced before the CBI court.
“Show-cause notices have been served to 15 policemen, who had accompanied the accused to the CBI court a week ago and a Grade SI, who deputed the policemen on duty, for breaching handcuffing norms”, said EK Unnikrishnan, Commandant, AR, Kochi. The policemen were asked to submit the explanations within 48 hours.
The action was initiated in the wake of a report submitted by the superintendent of Ernakulam sub-jail to the AR command in this regard.
Vikram, the first accused in the case filed a complaint before the CBI Court-III in Ernakulam, stating that the police handcuffed him and a co-accused while producing them before the court on May 25. The complaint also stated that both the accused were also prevented from speaking to their family members.
A judicial consent or a directive from the jail superintendent concerned is required for taking under trials to court with handcuffs. According to a police official it is not yet clear if the accused were brought to the court handcuffed. Kathiroor Manoj, an RSS leader, was hacked to death on September 1, 2014 by alleged CPM activists.
