Kerala youth protest: Govt once again seeks CBI probe

The Kerala government has again written to the Centre seeking a CBI probe into the alleged custodial death of a youth in May 2014, as the protest by his brother in front of the secretariat entered 767th day today.
The letter in this regard was sent last night by the state chief secretary asking CBI to re-examine its earlier decision not to take up case, a CMO press release here said.
The state government had in July last year written to the Centre for a CBI investigation as some police personnel were accused in the case registered in Parassala police station.

However, the plea was rejected by CBI stating they had an overload of cases and this particular incident did not come under the rarest of rare cases, the release stated.
The protesting youth, Sreejith, has been lying in front of the Secretariat here for the past 767 days, demanding a CBI inquiry into his brother's death and bringing the guilty to book.
With the social media taking up the youth's cause, there has been an outpouring of support for Sreejith.

CPI(M) leader, V S Sivankutty today met the youth and said the state government was prepared to hold talks with him to find a solution to the issue.

Meanwhile, Malayalam actors Prithiraj and Parvathy today came out in his support.
In a Facebook post, Prithviraj said the protest had 'touched' the collective conscience of the people.
"#SREEJITH You single-handedly represent the most valuable human faculty of modern times. One that we are fast losing...And one that we have ceased to respect. The quest for the truth, the refusal to settle for the compromise that's a lie!," he said in the post.
"You may be doing this for your brother, for your family, for your self. But what you have become through the course of the last 2 years, is an embodiment of hope...for a whole generation who's forgotten the merit of peaceful protest, the eloquence of silence, the power of one."

Yesterday, actor Tovino Thomas, had met Sreejith promising support for his cause.
Politicians from the Congress and BJP camps have also lent their support for the protest.