Thachankary appears before CJM Court

ALAPPUZHA: Former Kannur IG Tomin J Thachankary appeared before the Alappuzha Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Saturday in a 16-year-old case related to the custodial torture of  Punnappra Prakashan.The court adjourned the case to November 5 as Prakashan was not present at the court for the hearing. The court also issued a final warning to Prakashan. He was absent during the last two hearings also.Prakeshan, who was a suspect in the death of Suja, a girl from Punnappra, was tortured while in police custody. The Government had handed over the case to the Crime Branch after the local police inquiry. The Crime Branch had found that the death of Suja was a case of suicide and two others were booked for instigation.In the final verdict, the Alappuzha Additional District Court raised suspicion in the case and freed the two persons booked by the Crime Branch.After  being acquitted, Prakashan approached  the High Court about the torture he underwent while in police custody. According to the court directive, the local police a registered case and booked nine police officials. Thachankary, who was the ASP at that time, is the first accused in the torture case.