The move comes amid allegations of police negligence surrounding his death in the Kalpetta police station on 1 April.
Published Jun 07, 2025 | 2:02 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 07, 2025 | 2:02 PM
CBI
Synopsis: The Kerala government has transferred the investigation into the death of 18-year-old tribal youth Gokul to the CBI. Gokul was found hanging in a Kalpetta police station on 1 April after being detained over inter-tribal tensions. Alleged police negligence sparked protests and a Human Rights Commission case, prompting the state to escalate the probe despite no signs of torture.
The Kerala government has officially handed over the investigation into the death of Gokul, an 18-year-old tribal youth from Wayanad, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A notification published in the Kerala Gazette on 6 June confirmed the state’s consent under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, allowing the CBI to take over the probe.
The move comes amid allegations of police negligence surrounding his death in the Kalpetta police station on 1 April.
The case, initially registered under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhitha, 2023, was being handled by the state Crime Branch.
Gokul and a missing minor girl, reportedly from a different tribal community, were detained from Kozhikode on 31 March following inter-tribal tensions related to their relationship.
While the girl was shifted to a government shelter, Gokul remained in custody as police later stated that it was too late to present him before a Magistrate.
He was found hanging in the police station’s washroom the next morning.
Two police personnel — Assistant Sub-Inspector Deepa and Civil Police Officer Sreejith — were suspended following a preliminary inquiry.
Although the postmortem report ruled out custodial torture, police were widely criticised for lapses in ensuring the youth’s safety in custody.
The incident triggered state-wide protests and a Suo Motu case by the Kerala State Human Rights Commission, eventually prompting the government to escalate the probe to the central agency.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman)
