By Shankar Raj*
Thiruvananthapuram: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested four police officers in connection with the alleged custodial murder of Thamir Jifri, a 30-year-old resident of Tanur in Malappuram, last year. The arrested officers are senior civil police officer Ginesh, 37, civil police officer (CPO) Alvin Augustine, 36, CPO Abhimanyu, 35 and CPO Vipin, 38.
The arrests were made after a detailed investigation on May 4, 2024. It is now being debated if the government should go in appeal to the Supreme Court, which it may not, considering the
Earlier, the FIR registered by the CBI accused the four DANSAF members of murder. The accused officers face charges such as wrongful confinement, wrongful confinement to extort confession, custodial torture, voluntarily causing hurt, causing hurt using dangerous weapons, and murder, as per the FIR registered by the CBI.
Jifri was apprehended by the DANSAF (District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force) squad on July 31, 2023, along with four others. They were charged with possessing 18.14 grams of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, and booked under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
During questioning at the Tanur police station in Malappuram district, Jifri collapsed and was rushed to a nearby private hospital. There, the doctors declared him dead at 4:30 am on August 1, 2023. On August 2, 2023, eight policemen, including the sub-inspector of the Tanur police station, were suspended pending inquiry.
The First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Tanur police indicated signs of drug overdose. However, a subsequent investigation by the Crime Branch pointed to custodial torture. The autopsy report revealed 21 injury marks on Jifri’s body, indicating severe physical assault. These injuries included bruises on the lower end of his spine, under his legs, swelling in his lungs, and injuries on his thighs. According to the post-mortem report of Jifri’s body, he sustained injuries due to physical assault inflicted by members of the DANSAF squad operating under the jurisdiction of the Tanur sub-division of the Malappuram police.
The case was later transferred to the CBI following a Kerala High Court directive on September 8, 2023. This followed a petition from Jifri’s family who informed the court that they would not receive justice if the police department investigated the case against police involving police officials.
Haris Jifri, the elder brother of Thamir Jifri, expressed satisfaction with the CBI’s actions in the case. Despite the delay, he welcomed the arrests of the four officers, emphasizing that justice should prevail. He also alleged that his brother and the others detained by the DANSAF squad endured nearly 10 hours of beatings while in custody.
The police had allegedly exerted “extreme pressure” and threatened the family to withdraw the case from the High Court, but Thamir’s brother and others stood their ground.
*Shankar Raj is a former editor of The New Indian Express, Karnataka and Kerala, and writes regularly on current affairs.
