Rahul demands probe into 'suicide' of tribal man, writes to CM Vijayan

THIRUVANTHAPURAM [KERALA]: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the death of tribal boy Vishwanath allegedly by suicide near the Kozhikode Medical College and demanded a probe into the matter.

The Parliamentarian from Waynad said that a tribal youth, hailing from his constituency, was found hanging near the Kozhikode Medical College, just a few days after welcoming his first child after an eight-year-long wait.

"A tribal youth from my constituency was found hanging near the Kozhikode Medical College, just a few days after welcoming his first child after an eight-year-long wait. What was meant to be a joyous occasion for the family has turned into a lifelong tragedy," Rahul Gandhi said in his letter on Wednesday.

He said that Vishwanathan's family alleges that on February 9, the deceased was falsely accused of theft and beaten up by a mob. "He went missing on the same day and was found hanging on a tree near the medical college on February 10. The postmortem report states that the cause of death was by hanging and the police claim that he committed suicide due to the humiliation of being accused of theft," the MP's letter read.

"I met Vishwanathan's distraught family, and they have demanded a detailed investigation into the matter. They also requested a postmortem. They expressed their anguish regarding the hurry with which the postmortem was conducted. They have rejected the police report that states that Vishwanathan died by suicide and suspect foul play in the matter. Media reports state the Kerala State SC/ST Commission has also rejected the police department's report," the former Congress president said in the letter.

He requested CM Vijayan to initiate a probe into the circumstances surrounding the death of Vishwanathan and order an impartial enquiry regarding the lapses in investigation, if any. "His [Vishwanth's] family, especially his newborn child deserve justice. I would also like to request you to kindly grant the family ex-gratia compensation and a job for a family member on humanitarian grounds," Rahul added.