Satnam’s death was custodial murder, HC told

The special investigation team probing the death of Bihari youth Satnam Singh Mann,  submitted before the Kerala High Court on Monday that he died at the mental health centre in Thiruvananthapuram owing to custodial torture. 

“Unleashing uncontrolled violence over an unarmed, defenceless, mentally challenged, young man by six persons caused the death of Satnam,” the prosecution report said, adding that “the post-mortem report, medical report, casesheet, CCTV records, circumstantial and scientific evidence clearly prove that the death was a custodial murder.”

The police made the submission on the bail pleas of the two accused, Anil Kumar, first grade assistant, and Vivekanandan, jail warden.

The entire case altogether, especially the remand application, would reveal that they were only scapegoats, the petitioners submitted.  In the petition, they held that Satnam was fighting with his cell mate Lalu for the mattress. On seeing the tussle, they entered the cell and attempted to release both.

At this point, four other working patients, who are the accused in the case, also barged into the cell. While trying to release them, Lalu caught hold of Satnam’s throat, throwing  him against the cell wall, the petition pointed out.

The state government had submitted before the court that the death was owing to the injuries on the youth’s head and neck within a span of twenty-four hours. The incident happened after he was admitted to the mental health centre.

In an affidavit, the state government had submitted that Satnam and an other inmate at the hospital had been fighting with each other.

“Seeing the altercation between the two inmates, two members of the hospital staff and four working patients entered the cell with insulated plastic cable, lock and stick.

They wrongfully detained and held Satnam down by the back of his neck, banging him against the cell wall, and then leaving him unattended.

The hospital janitors found Satnam bleeding and lying unconscious when they arrived to serve dinner,” the affidavit stated. 

The accused are Anil Kumar, first grade assistant, Vivekanandan, jail warden and four working patients, including Biju and Dileep, hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, Manjeesh of Kollam and Sarath Prakash of Alappuzha.