Kerala govt announces compensation for 49-year-old who died in police custody

Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday decided to give Rs 16 lakh financial compensation to the family of Raj Kumar who allegedly died in police custody last month.

Rs 4 lakh each will be given to the deceased's three children as fixed bank deposits while Rs 4 lakh will be given to his wife.

Moreover, Raj Kumar's wife will be offered a government job, the Cabinet said.

A 49-year-old financial agent, Raj Kumar was taken into custody for alleged money fraud and had passed away in Peerumedu hospital last month.

The autopsy report said the cause of death was pneumonia but there were as many as 22 injury marks on his body.

Two police personnel, former Nedumkandam Senior Inspector KA Sabu and Civil Police Officer (CPO) Sajeev Antony were arrested by the crime branch in connection to the alleged custodial death.

The state government had ordered a judicial probe headed by Justice (retd) K. Narayana Kurup into the incident following huge protests from family and political parties.

Raj Kumar Action Council, which was formed to serve justice to Raj Kumar, had also staged a protest this month in Thiruvananthapuram and demanded a CBI enquiry in the case.