7 police personnel suspended in connection with cop's suicide

: Seven police personnel were suspended on Friday, pending an inquiry, over the suicide of a policeman last month, even as his family met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, seeking a judicial probe into his death following alleged harrassment by his colleagues.

Kumar, a policeman belonging to the Scheduled Tribe community and a native of Attappadi, was found dead on a railway track near Lakkidi on July 25.

His wife Sajini met the Chief Minister in the state capital this evening and sought a judicial probe into the death of her 30-year-old husband.

She told reporters that her family was not happy with the proposed crime branch probe into the suicide and instead wanted a judicial probe.

Announcing the suspensions of the seven policemen of the Kallekkad Armed Reserve camp,Palakkad Superintendent of Police G Siva Vikaram told reporters that as per the preliminary enquiry, no caste based discrimination had been found so far.

But a detailed enquiry under Section 174 of Crpc (Police to enquire and report on suicide) was being conducted by a Special Investigation Team, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police, District Crime Records Bureau, he told PTI.

The seven policemen were suspended for irreregularities in allotment of quarters, shifting of articles and mobile phone and house keys of Kumar.

Sajini has said that her husband had told her that he was being mentally and physically harrassed by his colleagues in the reserve camp as he belongs to the Adivasi community and wanted the accused to be arrested, "as otherwise they would destroy evidence.