Custodial death: Investigation transferred to CBI

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Wednesday decided to hand over to CBI the probe into the death of a man, who was picked up by the excise department for allegedly possessing ganja.

A decision in this connection was taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The man identified as Ranjith Kumar (35) had been taken into custody by the narcotic squad on October one and while being taken to the police station he showed symptoms of seizure and had susebquently died.

However, post mortem report had revealed multiple internal injuries following which three excise officials had been arrested, and four are abscounding.

A case of unnatural death was registered and later homicide charges were pressed against the excise officials responsible for the incident.

Ranjith Kumar was a history-sheeter with many 'ganja' (cannabis) cases, most of them for allegedly distributing the narcotic among schoolchildren.

This is the second custodial death in the state this year.

Rajkumar, a 49-year-old man taken into custody in connection with a financial fraud case, had died on June 21 in Peermedu sub-jail, allegedly due to custodial torture.

Four police personnel of the Nedumkandam police station in Idukki had been suspended and eight others transferred in connection with Rajkumar's death.

Rajkumar had suffered serious injuries and had at least 32 wounds on both legs below the knee.