May 04, 2014
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Young Lady Found Dead in Police Custody

N S Sajith

IN a shocking incident which exposes the brutality of police force in Kerala, a young lady was found dead in a police station in Changaramkulam in Malappuram district. Haneesha (23), an employee in a private hospital, was taken into custody by the police on April 23, in a theft case. It is suspected that she was hung to death in a rest room near the lock-up room. The body was found next morning. The police claim was that Haneesha had committed suicide at 6.15 on April 22 morning. The body was then taken to a private hospital in Edappal. After hearing the news of the dubious death, the people of the locality gathered near the police station and demanded a thorough probe into the dubious death of this young lady. They also picketed the National Highway 17 demanding immediate arrest of those who are responsible for the episode. In a subsequent development, considering the ire of the people, the home department was compelled to suspend three police personnel who were on duty that day. Haneesha is the daughter of late Sainudin and Zubaida. The police claimed that Haneesha was accused in several theft cases. Social activists accused that the police had not followed the norms while taking the woman into custody. No woman police was present in the station during the whole night when she was kept in custody. Zubaida, the mother of the victim, said there was no reason for Haneesha to commit suicide, and that it was a clear case of murder. The story cooked up by the police, who said that she had found a way to commit suicide in custody, is unbelievable, Zubaida said.