T’puram: State govt on Monday sought a report from the DGP after a 35-year-old man, who was taken into custody and later released by Kundara police, died while undergoing treatment, with his family alleging that he was brutally assaulted in custody.Home minister Ramesh Chennithala directed the DGP to submit a detailed report into the incident, which has sparked widespread protests and demands for an impartial investigation. Further action is likely to be taken following the DGP’s expected report.Siyad, a resident of Perumbuzha Societymukku near Kundara, died at Thiruvananthapuram medical college hospital (MCH) on Saturday. His family alleged that injuries sustained during police custody led to his death, a charge denied by the police.According to the family, Siyad was taken into custody on the night of June 16 after the sister of a 13-year-old boy in the neighbourhood lodged a complaint alleging that the minor had gone missing. Family said Siyad had no connection with the incident but was picked up nonetheless.“My son called me from police custody and said he was being beaten. He pleaded with me to come to the station immediately. Our children watched helplessly as he was taken away. When he returned home the next morning, he could barely walk because of the pain and kept saying that the police had assaulted him,” said Siyad’s mother Arifa Beevi.The missing boy returned home on June 17, following which Siyad was released. According to the family, his health deteriorated after his release. He was first admitted to Kollam district hospital, where doctors allegedly found a fractured rib and an infection, before being shifted to the Thiruvananthapuram MCH.The family has accused Kundara sub inspector Athul and civil police officer Sreejith of assaulting Siyad. A purported audio recording that surfaced on Sunday allegedly captures Siyad’s daughter speaking to CPO Sreejith. In the recording, she is heard claiming that she had repeatedly informed the officers that her father was unwell and that Siyad had identified Sreejith as the officer who assaulted him.However, police denied the allegations, maintaining that Siyad was never assaulted. According to police, the preliminary postmortem findings indicated that he had serious underlying health conditions, including hepatitis B, which could have contributed to his death.Meanwhile, leader of opposition Pinarayi Vijayan demanded immediate action against those responsible. “The allegations raised by the family are extremely serious. The govt must ensure a fair, transparent and time-bound investigation and bring every person responsible before the law without delay,” he said.On Sunday, people gathered outside Kundara police station demanding action against the officers named by the family and a fair investigation into the death. Former minister J Mercykutty Amma, who visited Siyad’s family, demanded criminal and departmental action against the accused policemen and compensation for the bereaved family.“Citizens have the right to live. Police can arrest a person if there is a complaint. But if a person is assaulted while being taken into custody and it ends in death, it is a matter of grave concern. Those responsible must be punished and the family should be compensated,” she said.
