Hundreds of supporters, who got to know about his protest through social media, have stood in support.
On the 768th day of his protest for justice in Kerala's capital Thiruvananthapuram, 29-year-old Sreejith said he will continue his fast unto death till the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) takes over the case of his brother Sreejeev's alleged 'custodial death' in 2014.
Hundreds of supporters, who got to know about his protest through social media, have stood in support. They have started a relay fast along with Sreejith outside the Kerala Secretariat. Sreejith has already been on fast for the last 38 days.
Sreejith's mother, 50-year-old Ramani Pramela, has filed a petition in the High Court today. "I thought I will even lose this son of mine. Only now, after all this support, I am getting confident of justice. We want CBI probe," she said, surrounded by a group of supporters.
Sreejith says his brother was arrested in an alleged theft case and that he was a victim of torture in police custody. "My brother was in relationship with a girl, who was related to a cop. He was tortured by the police and the police fabricated a story and produced evidence to cover up the crime."
The police, however, claimed that he consumed poison which was hidden in his underwear soon after his arrest.
"He left a suicide note and the forensic report said it is his handwriting. The postmortem report doesn't mention any injuries due to custodial torture. When Sreejeev was brought to the hospital, he told the doctor the name of the poison he had consumed," said top state police sources. The postmortem report says he died of carbofuron poisoning.
But the Police Complaint Authority report in 2016 indicted the police of death due to custodial torture.
"We want a CBI probe and it has to be under the supervision of the High Court. We want justice for Sreejeev," said Akhil Thomas, who has joined Sreejith in his quest for justice.