Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Meets Sreejith, Promises Support

Sreejith said that he would continue his protest until he receives a formal order regarding a CBI probe.

Sreejith was working in Thiruvananthapuram when his brother passed away.  

(Photo Courtesy: Sreekesh Ravindran Nair/The News Minute)  

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday, 15 January, met Sreejith, a youth who is on a protest in front of the secretariat for 767 days, demanding a CBI probe into his brother's alleged custodial death, and promised all support.

Sreejith and his mother Ramani Prameela met Vijayan a day after the LDF government wrote to the CBI asking it to re-examine its earlier decision not to take up the case.

Vijayan informed them about the steps taken by the government so far and told that the government was with the family in their pain.

On being informed by Prameela that some of the accused police personnel had mocked at her, Vijayan directed the DGP to view the matter seriously and take action.

However, 29-year-old Sreejith told reporters that he would continue his protest until he receives a formal order regarding CBI probe into his younger brother Sreejeev's death in May 2014 and bring the guilty to book.

The chief minister extended all support to our cause, he said, adding that the protest will continue till an order on CBI probe is received.

The plea to suspend the police officers accused in the death was not accepted, he said.

Vijayan said the government will take a favourable stand to get the stay vacated in the Kerala High Court with regard to the case and necessary instructions had been given in this regard to the Advocate General, a statement from the chief minister's office said.

Meanwhile, Congress MPs from Kerala Shashi Tharoor and KC Venugopal met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister for Personnel and Public Grievances Jitendra Singh at Delhi.

In a tweet, Tharoor said the home minister had agreed that custodial deaths should always be inquired into.

In another tweet he said “Spoke to #Sreejith by phone to convey the Govt’s assurance of a CBI inquiry into the custodial death of his brother #Sreejeev. Admired his courage & persistence but urged him to call off his protest now. May truth & justice prevail.”

With the social media taking up Sreejith's cause, there has been an outpouring of support for him. Meanwhile, Malayalam actors Prithviraj and Parvathy on Monday came out in his support.

Politicians from the Congress and the BJP camps have also lent their support for the protest.

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