Thrissur: The death of a 33-year-old remand prisoner at Viyyur district jail has sparked a controversy, with family members alleging that he died under mysterious circumstances. The deceased has been identified as Reshbabu of Pulakkattukara near Nenmanikkara, Thrissur.
Arrest and Remand
Police had arrested Reshbabu in connection with a robbery at Sakthan Thampuran bus stand in Thrissur on the night of May 16. Reshbabu and three others allegedly attacked a man at the bus stand and took away cash, a mobile phone, and a watch worth about Rs 35,000. Based on CCTV footage, police arrested all four accused a day later. The Thrissur judicial first class magistrate then remanded them to Viyyur district jail.
Illness and Death
According to R P Rathish, the jail superintendent, Reshbabu complained of vomiting and fainting on May 26. He was first taken to the district hospital and later to the medical college hospital (MCH), where he died on Wednesday.
Reshbabu's father, Padinjare Purakkal Babu, said the jail officials informed him on May 26 that his son was ailing and had been admitted to the MCH. "When we reached the hospital, we saw Reshbabu's lips were swollen and he had tubes both in the nose and mouth," Babu said. He added that the family could not speak to Reshbabu thereafter as he was on a ventilator in the ICU.
Family Allegations
In a complaint to the city police commissioner, Babu said his son was under medication for mental health issues but was not facing any major physical ailments. He alleged that the police did not take Reshbabu's mental health issues seriously. According to Dr Hitesh Sankar, the forensic expert who performed the postmortem examination at the MCH, Reshbabu had 50% learning difficulties.
Police and Jail Officials' Response
However, Thrissur special branch ACP K C Sethu and the jail superintendent said the family members had not informed the police or jail officials about Reshbabu's mental health issues. "The police had a medical examination done on Reshbabu both before taking him to the court and before sending him to jail," Sethu said. The jail superintendent added, "Reshbabu was not having any health issues and had played cricket even two days before he fell ill."
Protests and Postmortem Findings
DYFI activists staged a march to the Thrissur East police station in protest of Reshbabu's death. CPM state secretary M V Govindan also voiced his protests over the incident. Meanwhile, preliminary postmortem findings suggest that Reshbabu died due to internal bleeding in the head caused by a pre-existing condition – idiopathic thrombocytopenia – rather than torture. This condition increases the risk of bleeding in the head. Samples have been sent for detailed studies, Dr Sankar said.
