A couple committed 'suicide' in their house near Changanassery in the district today after the husband, who worked in a jewellery shop, was allegedly tortured by police in connection with a gold theft case, police said.
The deaths triggered an agitation by workers of Congress and BJP in the area and the sub-inspector who was accused of custodial torture had been transferred, they said.
Sunil Kumar, 31, and Reshma, 27, had taken poison and died, the police said.
The couple's relatives alleged the two took the extreme step after Mr Kumar was accused of gold theft and tortured during interrogation, the police added.
Mr Kumar was summoned for interrogation based on a complaint from his employer, who is also a CPI(M) councillor, about the theft, they said.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front gave a call for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in protest against the incident.
The Kottayam District police chief has transferred the Sub-Inspector following the protests, police said.
The incident comes months after a youth, S R Sreejith, died after allegedly being tortured in police custody on April 9, over which the opposition had attacked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, holding charge of the Home portfolio.
After Cancer, Medical Debt: Kerala Couple Dies By Suicide Hours After Arrest, Rape Accused Dies By Suicide, Family Alleges Torture Couple Die By Suicide After Daughter Elopes With Lover In Kerala Student Arrested For Controversial Post On Mamata Banerjee Malala Yousafzai's Post On Taliban After Attending Taylor Swift Concert What Murdered Doctor's Father Said About A Torn Page From Her Diary Mumbai BMW Hit-And-Run Accused Says He Is Illegally Detained, Seeks Release UPSC To Introduce AI-Based CCTV Surveillance To Prevent Cheating Switzerland Offers Rs 50 Lakh For Solutions To Clear Ammunition From Lakes Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.