New Delhi: The CBI has approached the Supreme Court to challenge the acquittal of police officers involved in the infamous Udayakumar custodial murder case. The central agency argued that the victim died following extreme torture at a police station and maintained that since the accused are law enforcement officers, their conviction is essential for justice. Following the petition, a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notices to the accused officers.

The CBI's appeal specifically targets the High Court verdict that acquitted the first accused, K Jithakumar, along with T Ajith Kumar, E K Sabu and T K Haridas (accused four through six). During the proceedings, the CBI counsel informed the court that Udayakumar’s death was the result of brutal custodial violence. The agency pointed to the post-mortem report, which documented 22 severe injuries, including evidence that an iron pipe was used for "rolling" torture.

The agency further contended that the High Court had cleared the officers on technical grounds, disregarding the fact that the trial court had previously found them guilty and awarded punishments.

The case traces back to September 27, 2005, when Udayakumar, a scrap metal worker, was detained by police at Sreekanteswaram Park in Thiruvananthapuram on suspicion of theft. He was taken to the Fort Police Station by a special squad under then-CI E K Sabu, where he was allegedly tortured to death. While the Thiruvananthapuram Special CBI Court had initially sentenced the primary accused to death and others to three years in prison, the High Court later overturned these sentences.