Dalit man found dead 2 days after wedding in Kerala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is an unfortunate incident. Police have some leads in the case and all accused will be arrested soon. PINARAYI VIJAYAN, Kerala CM
A newlymarried man who was abducted allegedly by his wife’s family in Kottayam on Sunday was found dead with torture marks all over his body in Kollam district on Monday.
The death has sent shock waves through the state as a day before the wife had sat on a daylong protest at the Gandhi Nagar police station (Kottayam) pleading the cops to save her husband but she was reportedly rebuffed by officials saying they were busy with the chief minister’s visit.
The latest murder has invited enough embarrassment to the state government that transferred the Kottayam police superintendent and suspended a subinspector and announced a special investigation team to probe the case. “It is an unfortunate incident. Police have some leads in the case and all accused will be arrested soon,” said chief minister (CM) Pinarayi Vijayan.
However, he criticised the move to link the incident with his visit to Kottayam on Sunday. “Usually the CM’s security is handled by a special team and not the local police. It is unfair to club laxity on the part of some police officials with my visit,” he said. But later the duty roster released by some news channels found that the station in charge and others were on CM’s escort duty.
Kevin P Joseph, 23, a Dalit Christian and Neenu Chacko, 21, a Christian from an affluent family, got married against the wishes of the girl’s parents two days ago.
“They were in love for the last three years. On Friday they registered their marriage. But they were then summoned to the police station after Neenu’s parents filed a missing person’s complaint,” said Melvin, a friend of Kevin. He added that at the police station the girl’s parents tried their best to convince Neenu to go back with them, but she stood her ground. There were also attempts to forcibly take her away, but she insisted that she was 21 and would like to live with Kevin. Both parties reportedly reached a compromise at the instance of the police later and Neenu was asked to stay at a nearby hostel and Kevin allowed to go with his relatives.
On Sunday, she approached the police with a complaint that her husband was abducted and she suspected her brother’s involvement. But the cops reportedly told her that the CM was in the district and all officials were busy and the case would be taken up only after he left the district. Later on Sunday night, Neenu told television channels that the police did not take up her complaint seriously citing lack of personnel due to the CM’s visit.
The assailants allegedly barged into the relative’s house where Kevin was staying, kidnapped him and his relative Anish in the early hours of Sunday. Anish was let off after being thrashed for two hours and he was the first to alert Kevin’s parents and wife.
“They came in three cars. We both were abducted at knife point and thrashed badly in the vehicle. I could hear Kevin wail from another car,” Anish said. Kevin’s body was found near a stream in Thenmala in Kollam district on Monday morning.
Melvin said Neenu’s parents belonged to different communities — father a Christian and mother a Muslim — but they opposed their relation because of Kevin’s Dalit background and his poor economic conditions.
One of the accused in the case, Niyas Nasaruddin, also a DYFI (CPM youth wing) leader, is a cousin of Neenu, police said. They said one of the accused was in custody and they recovered Kevin’s body after questioning him. The DYFI has expelled the accused from the party.
The opposition Congress and BJP have called a day-long hartal in Kottayam district on Tuesday.
“It is a brutal murder. His life could have been saved if the police acted swiftly. It is a shame that all police personnel were deployed for the CM security,” said state opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala.