Dalit man forcibly drowned: forensic experts to court

A Dalit Christian, who died last year in a suspected case of honour killing, was forcibly drowned in a stream in Kollam district, forensic experts informed a court here Monday.

This was not a case of accidental death or a suicide, but a case of homicidal drowning, forensic experts of the Kottayam Government Medical College hospital who performed the postmortem of P Kevin Joseph told the District Additional Sessions Court here.

Forensic experts Dr V M Rajeev, Santhosh Joy and Medical Board Director Dr Sasikala gave the statement during the trial of the case in the court.

According to them, there was only waist deep water in the stream at the time of his death.

He faced difficulties in breathing and there was water in exceptional level in his lungs.

All these prove that he was forcibly drowned, they told the Court.

Kevin (23) was allegedly kidnapped and killed by a gang led by his wife's brother Sanu Chacko on May 27 last year.

There are 14 accused in the case.

While Sanu is the prime accused in the case, victim's father-in-law Chacko is the fifth accused.

The death of the man, who was kidnapped along with a relative from Mannanam in the district, had triggered widespread protests in the state.

The victim's kin had alleged that he died due to police laxity as they refused to conduct an investigation on the basis of his wife's complaint.

The body of Kevin was found on May 28 last year in a stream in Chaliyakkara in Kollam district.

Kevin, who was in love with the woman studying in a college in Kottayam, had married her at a registrar's office in Ettumanoor against the wishes of her family.