AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Siyad, a private bus driver from Kundara, died on Saturday while undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram after sustaining fractured ribs and a severe lung infection.
His family has alleged that the injuries were inflicted during police custody, while the case is being investigated by the District Crime Branch.
Police detained him on the night of June 16 following a complaint that a neighbouring 13-year-old boy was missing.
He was released the next morning after the boy returned home.
The complainant, whose missing person complaint led to Siyad being taken into custody by the Kundara police, alleged that Civil Police Officer (CPO) Sreejith began assaulting him immediately after he was made to board the police jeep.
"I was inside the jeep when Siyad was beaten. He cried out in pain while he was being assaulted," she alleged.
Siyad's parents, Badrudeen and Arifa Beevi, also alleged that their son had told them he was brutally beaten inside the police vehicle after being mistaken for someone else.
According to the family, Siyad had no prior health issues but was unable to even drink water for eight days following the alleged assault.
The family said doctors at Kollam District Hospital found that Syad had suffered fractured ribs after an X-ray was taken for chest pain.
They alleged that he later developed a severe lung infection linked to the injuries and was shifted to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, where he died while on ventilator support.
Describing Siyad as the sole breadwinner of the family with no criminal antecedents, his relatives demanded the dismissal and prosecution of the police personnel allegedly involved.
They also said they would submit complaints to Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan and the Director General of Police seeking a comprehensive investigation.
The alleged custodial death is currently under investigation by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) of the District Crime Branch. Police have denied the allegations of custodial assault.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) staged a protest outside the Kundara police station, demanding action against the officers allegedly involved.
Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called for immediate action against those responsible, saying the government must ensure that "all the culprits are brought before the law at the earliest through stringent action."
CPI(M) Central Committee member K.N. Balagopal MLA described the incident as a disturbing reflection of the direction in which Kerala's policing was headed.
Drawing parallels with the custodial killing of Udayakumar at Thiruvananthapuram's Fort police station, Balagopal demanded the immediate suspension of the officers allegedly involved, the registration of a murder case against them, and financial assistance for Siyad's family.
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