CBI informs HC it has taken over probe into Sreejeev's death

The CBI today informed the Kerala High Court that it has taken over investigation into the death of a 27-year-old man who allegedly died in police custody in 2014.
The man's brother, Sreejith, is on a sit-in protest in front of the Secretariat at Thiruvananthapuram for more than 750 days demanding a CBI probe into the alleged custodial death.
Sreejeev was taken into custody in May 2014 by Parassala police and the family was told two days later that he died after consuming poison.
Disposing of a petition filed by the mother of Sreejeev seeking a CBI probe into his death, Justice B Kemal Pasha directed the agency to start investigation at the earliest.

The counsel for the state government also pleaded with the court to direct the investigative agency to take over the case at the earliest.
The counsel for the Union government produced a central notification directing the agency to probe the case.

There has been an outpouring of support from people from various walks of life for Sreejith after the issue was raised on the social media.
Coming out in support, the Congress and the BJP had also sought urgent intervention by the central and state governments on Sreejith's plea.
On January 14, the state government again urged the Centre to order a CBI probe into the alleged custodial death.

The letter in this regard was sent by the state chief secretary asking the CBI to re-examine its earlier decision not to take up case, according to a CMO press release.
The state government had in July last year written to the Centre for a CBI probe as some police personnel were accused in the case registered in Parassala police station.
However, the plea was rejected by the CBI stating they had an overload of cases and this particular incident did not come under the rarest of rare cases, the release had stated.