The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked seven officials of the Anti-Narcotic Enforcement Squad in Kerala’s Thrissur for the alleged murder of a 54-year-old man who was arrested with about two kg of ganja in October 2019.
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The agency has taken over the case on a reference from the State government. Among those named as accused are then Excise Preventive Officers Anoop Kumar, Abdul Jabbar V.B. and Ummer V.A.; and Civil Excise Officers Nidhin M. Madhavan, Mahesh K.U., Benny M.O and Smibin V.M.
On October 1, 2019, Mr. Ummer had got a case registered at the Pavaratty police station on the death of one Ranjith Kumar, who was taken into custody by the Excise officials for possessing ganja. He was intercepted when he was riding a motorcycle.
The official, in his complaint, claimed that the accused was being taken to the District Excise Office in Thrissur when he showed symptoms of epileptic seizures and was taken to a hospital where a doctor declared him dead.
However, the post-mortem report stated that the death was caused by the blunt force injuries inflicted on Ranjith’s head and torso. He had suffered 12 such injuries that were collectively sufficient to cause his death. The next day, during an inquiry, a Judicial Magistrate concluded that it was an unnatural death under suspicious circumstances.
Further investigations revealed that Ranjith was taken into custody and taken in an Excise Department vehicle to a Chavakkad range toddy contractor’s office “for extracting confession and for more recovery”. The accused Excise officials “wrongfully confined” him in a room and “physically tortured him”. During interrogation, as alleged, he fainted and was taken to the hospital.
