Kerala sets up five-member medical panel to ascertain cause of 26-year-old man's death in custody

Kochi: The Kerala government has set up a five-member medical board to ascertain the real cause of a 26-year-old man’s death after alleged police torture while in custody. [caption id=“attachment_4424723” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Getty images[/caption] Official sources said the board was set up following a request by Special Investigation Team (SIT) chief IGP S Sreejith seeking expert opinion to determine the cause of the death. The 26-year-old SR Sreejith was taken into custody for the death of one Vasudevan early this month and died in a private hospital on 9 April. His family has alleged he was kicked several times on the stomach and thrashed by police officials. The post-mortem report has said Sreejith had died of ‘blunt trauma’ in the abdomen and there were multiple injuries on his body. Meanwhile, the SIT is also probing whether Sreejith was arrested by mistake by the police in connection with Vasudevan’s death. Vasudevan’s son Vineesh had alleged police had mistaken the deceased for another Sreejith whom he had named in his complaint lodged in connection with his father’s death. Seven policemen have been suspended in connection with the alleged custodial death. Opposition Congress has sought a court-monitored probe into the incident. Both the Congress and the BJP had demanded that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan give up the Home portfolio.