Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the Assembly today that the state government may hand over the custodial death case of Shafique Thaiparambil (36) to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
While replying to MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan’s submission that the CBI should investigate the case, the Chief Minister said that if Shafique died due to custodial torture, then a CBI probe is likely to take place.
Radhakrishnan also informed Vijayan that Shafique’s wife, Zarina is suffering from heart disease and the government must step in and take care of his two children. The CM said that he will take stock of the situation.
Kanjirapally native Shafique (36) died while undergoing treatment at Kottayam Medical College Hospital on January 13, 2021. Reportedly, Shafique died while doctors were preparing him for surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain.
Udayamperoor police arrested Shafique after allegedly cheating an elderly woman in Ernakulam district on January 11, 2021. He was remanded in judicial custody at the Kakkanad district jail.
On January 13, Shafique’s health began deteriorating and the doctors suggested that he must be moved to Kottayam Medical College Hospital. Doctors at Kottayam MCH found a blood clot in his brain. Kottayam MCH neurosurgeon Dr KP Balakrishnan told a leading Malayalam daily that Shafique’s blood clot in the brain may be the result of a head injury.
Shafique’s family suspected that he could be a victim of police custodial death. According to his family, Shafique was healthy when the police took him into custody and alleged that he could have been tortured in jail, resulting in the head injury.
The family also claimed that the Kakkanad jail authorities informed them about Shafique’s condition after his health was deteriorating. The jail authorities told them that he was admitted to Ernakulam General Hospital (EGH) after suffering an epilepsy attack.