Eight police officers, including a sub-inspector of police in Kerala district, were suspended in connection with the custodial death of a man who was picked up for allegedly possessing drugs a day ago. The district special branch officer acknowledged the suspension of the eight Tanur Police Station personnel who arrested Tirurangadi resident Jifri for allegedly carrying synthetic narcotics.
According to PTI, the police said, Jifri, a 30-year-old resident of Tirurangadi, an alleged drug peddler with criminal cases pending against him, was taken into custody by the police. Based on the tip-off, police also arrested Jifi and four others identified as Mansoor, Abid, Jabir, and K T Muhammad.
The gang possessed 18.14 grams of MDMA, police said.
"They were brought to the police station at around 1.30 AM. At around 4.30 AM, he collapsed. Jifri was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where the doctors declared him dead," the police had said.
They said that a thorough investigation has been ordered into the matter.
The Crime Branch Deputy SP also ordered a probe into the custodial death of Jifri. The Special Branch Deputy SP is likely to investigate any lapses on the part of the police officials.
Meanwhile, Thamir's postmortem revealed that a crystal-shaped object wrapped in a plastic sheet was discovered in his stomach. The medical officers believe that the object is MDMA, which Thamir might have swallowed after he was apprehended.
The autopsy also indicated that Thamir had 13 injuries on his body. However, it is unclear whether the wounds were inflicted by police torture or were present even before the arrest. Only after a scientific examination of internal organs will the cause of death be determined, as per a report in The New Indian Express.
However, the police booked an unnatural death case.
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