This is the story of the custodial death of Udayakumar(28) at the Fort police station, Thiruvananthapuram on 27 Sep 2005 around 2230 hrs.
The police had taken Udayakumar into custody from Sreekanteswaram park on suspicion of theft and tortured him to get a confession regarding the Rs.4,020 found in his pocket. His hands were tied using a towel and a galvanised iron pipe was used to knead his thighs, causing severe internal injuries that eventually led to his death. The clincher was the post mortem report which said that the victim had died due to the rupture of the veins of his thighs!
The Long Tortuous Path of the Case.
27 Sep '05 Udayakumar arrested and taken to the Fort police station. By about 2230 hrs
seeing exhaustion coupled with weakness of the victim, he's taken to the
hospital but dies enroute.
29 Sep '05 Vakkom Prabha, AC, Narcotics commences investigation. Constable Jithakumar
and Sreekumar of the AR Camp suspended.
30 Sep '05 Post Mortem report confirms death due to the kneading of thighs. 22 injury
marks sighted on his thighs. The GI pipes used for the purpose recovered from
the premises of the police station.
01 Oct '05 EK Sabu, CI of the Fort police station suspended.
03 Oct '05 Sreekumar and Jithakumar surrender.
04 Oct '05 Chief Minister Oommen Chandy assures a house and land for the victim's
mother. When the accused were arraigned in court, the police use dummies
so that the pressmen are unable to capture them on camera.
05 Oct '05 Constable Soman of the Fort police station and the third accused arrested.
The investigation is taken over by the Crime Branch.
10 Oct '05 The Pettah CI and three other policemen, who'd enacted the 'dummy drama'
suspended.
11 Nov '05 Udayakumar's death by the kneading of his thighs confirmed by the Crime
Branch. Cause of death due to the rupture of the veins in his thighs.
12 Feb '06 The Crime Branch files case against the three accused policemen. Action
recommended against 1 CI, 2 SIs and 6 policemen.
02 Jul '07 The main witness, Suresh Kumar, arrested.
04 Jul '07 Witnesses, Head Constable D Vijayakumar, Constable Anil Kumar turn
hostile.
23 Sep '07 Jithakumar, Sreekumar and Soman get bail.
13 Sep '07 The High Court asks the CBI to take over the investigation.
26 Aug '08 The CBI takes over the investigations.
20 Oct '08 CBI arrests Head Constable D Vijayakumar, Constable Anil Kumar.
18 May '09 CBI arrests SI Ravindran Nair and Head Constable Hiralal for correcting
the FIR and falsifying records.
27 Sep '10 CBI files murder charge against three policemen.
14 Dec '10 The government clears the CBI to file charges of murder against CI T Ajith
Kumar, AC EK Sabu and Head Constable VP Mohanan and proceed with
the investigation.
29 Jul '12 The CBI's request for retrial based on the new, connected case rejected by the
High Court.
17 Nov '12 Udayakumar's mother's petition asking for Rs.25 lakhs as compensation from
the government and the investigation to be carried out with the Court's
supervision, rejected by the High Court.
08 Apr '13 Suspension of all the accused policemen revoked.
12 May '14 CBI files a single case after listing TK Haridas, SP as the seventh accused.
The cases regarding murder and conspiracy were combined as one.
27 Jun '14 The High Court stays the proceedings.
09 Jan '15 TK Haridas, SP need not be tried says, Court.
20 Oct '15 Appeal by Udayakumar's mother that the accused were trying to sabotage the
case in the High Court.
31 Mar '16 The High Court directs the government to pay Rs. 10 lakhs as compensation
to Udayakumar's mother.
10 Mar '18 Third accused, Soman, dies.
20 Jul '18 The arguments/counterarguments regarding the case completed.
Tailpiece.
Must applaud the grit and determination of Ms. Prabhavathi Amma, the late Udayakumar's mother, in being able to provide justice to her wronged son.
The police had taken Udayakumar into custody from Sreekanteswaram park on suspicion of theft and tortured him to get a confession regarding the Rs.4,020 found in his pocket. His hands were tied using a towel and a galvanised iron pipe was used to knead his thighs, causing severe internal injuries that eventually led to his death. The clincher was the post mortem report which said that the victim had died due to the rupture of the veins of his thighs!
The Long Tortuous Path of the Case.
27 Sep '05 Udayakumar arrested and taken to the Fort police station. By about 2230 hrs
seeing exhaustion coupled with weakness of the victim, he's taken to the
hospital but dies enroute.
29 Sep '05 Vakkom Prabha, AC, Narcotics commences investigation. Constable Jithakumar
and Sreekumar of the AR Camp suspended.
30 Sep '05 Post Mortem report confirms death due to the kneading of thighs. 22 injury
marks sighted on his thighs. The GI pipes used for the purpose recovered from
the premises of the police station.
01 Oct '05 EK Sabu, CI of the Fort police station suspended.
03 Oct '05 Sreekumar and Jithakumar surrender.
04 Oct '05 Chief Minister Oommen Chandy assures a house and land for the victim's
mother. When the accused were arraigned in court, the police use dummies
so that the pressmen are unable to capture them on camera.
05 Oct '05 Constable Soman of the Fort police station and the third accused arrested.
The investigation is taken over by the Crime Branch.
10 Oct '05 The Pettah CI and three other policemen, who'd enacted the 'dummy drama'
suspended.
11 Nov '05 Udayakumar's death by the kneading of his thighs confirmed by the Crime
Branch. Cause of death due to the rupture of the veins in his thighs.
12 Feb '06 The Crime Branch files case against the three accused policemen. Action
recommended against 1 CI, 2 SIs and 6 policemen.
02 Jul '07 The main witness, Suresh Kumar, arrested.
04 Jul '07 Witnesses, Head Constable D Vijayakumar, Constable Anil Kumar turn
hostile.
23 Sep '07 Jithakumar, Sreekumar and Soman get bail.
13 Sep '07 The High Court asks the CBI to take over the investigation.
26 Aug '08 The CBI takes over the investigations.
20 Oct '08 CBI arrests Head Constable D Vijayakumar, Constable Anil Kumar.
18 May '09 CBI arrests SI Ravindran Nair and Head Constable Hiralal for correcting
the FIR and falsifying records.
27 Sep '10 CBI files murder charge against three policemen.
14 Dec '10 The government clears the CBI to file charges of murder against CI T Ajith
Kumar, AC EK Sabu and Head Constable VP Mohanan and proceed with
the investigation.
29 Jul '12 The CBI's request for retrial based on the new, connected case rejected by the
High Court.
17 Nov '12 Udayakumar's mother's petition asking for Rs.25 lakhs as compensation from
the government and the investigation to be carried out with the Court's
supervision, rejected by the High Court.
08 Apr '13 Suspension of all the accused policemen revoked.
12 May '14 CBI files a single case after listing TK Haridas, SP as the seventh accused.
The cases regarding murder and conspiracy were combined as one.
27 Jun '14 The High Court stays the proceedings.
09 Jan '15 TK Haridas, SP need not be tried says, Court.
20 Oct '15 Appeal by Udayakumar's mother that the accused were trying to sabotage the
case in the High Court.
31 Mar '16 The High Court directs the government to pay Rs. 10 lakhs as compensation
to Udayakumar's mother.
10 Mar '18 Third accused, Soman, dies.
20 Jul '18 The arguments/counterarguments regarding the case completed.
Tailpiece.
Must applaud the grit and determination of Ms. Prabhavathi Amma, the late Udayakumar's mother, in being able to provide justice to her wronged son.
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