Kerala medical student killed in Uzbekistan after classmate strikes her with laptop
Kerala Police have registered a murder case in the death of a medical student in Uzbekistan following her family's complaint and are now seeking details of the probe from Uzbek authorities while considering further legal action.
A 22-year-old medical student from Kerala was killed in Uzbekistan last week after her classmate allegedly struck her with a laptop and tortured her following an argument. The Kerala Police have now registered a murder case in connection with the incident based on a complaint filed by her family. Police said a postmortem examination was also conducted at Alappuzha Medical College after the case was registered on Wednesday.
Officers said they would seek details of the investigation in Uzbekistan through the Indian Embassy and the Ministry of External Affairs. They added that if the accused is prosecuted there, the case registered in Kerala would be closed. The accused is the victim's classmate from Malappuram, who allegedly hit her on the head during a heated argument, causing her death.
Senior police officer Binukumar T told news agency PTI that the case was registered on the basis of a complaint submitted by the student's parents to the District Police Chief.
He said, "Even though the crime occurred in Uzbekistan, there are provisions to register a case here. If the police there prosecute the accused, we will close the case. If no legal action is taken there, we will pursue the case further."
He said the Kerala Police would communicate with the authorities in Uzbekistan through the Indian Embassy to find out the progress of the investigation. "There are reports that the accused has been arrested there. We will proceed through the Ministry of External Affairs to obtain details of the case and the action being taken by the authorities in Uzbekistan," Binukumar said.
The officer said the parents were demanding that an investigation be conducted in Kerala and that the accused be extradited from Uzbekistan. "We will have to check for any such provision after taking legal advice and consulting with the External Affairs Ministry," he added.
However, the student's family told reporters on Thursday that she had serious injuries all over her body. A family member who had gone to Uzbekistan to bring back the body said investigators there told him that she was tortured and brutally beaten before her death. "She did not die because she was hit on the head with a laptop," he contended.
He also claimed that investigators told him the accused had been seen by many students forcing the victim to convert her religion. "He had brutally assaulted her a lot before killing her. So, we are seeking a postmortem here and have lodged a complaint here to ensure he does not escape if he is let off by the police in Uzbekistan," the family member said.
He further said the boy's parents were government employees and his brother is a doctor, and that the accused and the victim lived in the same hostel. The case in Kerala has now been registered as police await details from Uzbekistan while the family continues to press for further action.
A 22-year-old medical student from Kerala was killed in Uzbekistan last week after her classmate allegedly struck her with a laptop and tortured her following an argument. The Kerala Police have now registered a murder case in connection with the incident based on a complaint filed by her family. Police said a postmortem examination was also conducted at Alappuzha Medical College after the case was registered on Wednesday.
Officers said they would seek details of the investigation in Uzbekistan through the Indian Embassy and the Ministry of External Affairs. They added that if the accused is prosecuted there, the case registered in Kerala would be closed. The accused is the victim's classmate from Malappuram, who allegedly hit her on the head during a heated argument, causing her death.
Senior police officer Binukumar T told news agency PTI that the case was registered on the basis of a complaint submitted by the student's parents to the District Police Chief.
He said, "Even though the crime occurred in Uzbekistan, there are provisions to register a case here. If the police there prosecute the accused, we will close the case. If no legal action is taken there, we will pursue the case further."
He said the Kerala Police would communicate with the authorities in Uzbekistan through the Indian Embassy to find out the progress of the investigation. "There are reports that the accused has been arrested there. We will proceed through the Ministry of External Affairs to obtain details of the case and the action being taken by the authorities in Uzbekistan," Binukumar said.
The officer said the parents were demanding that an investigation be conducted in Kerala and that the accused be extradited from Uzbekistan. "We will have to check for any such provision after taking legal advice and consulting with the External Affairs Ministry," he added.
However, the student's family told reporters on Thursday that she had serious injuries all over her body. A family member who had gone to Uzbekistan to bring back the body said investigators there told him that she was tortured and brutally beaten before her death. "She did not die because she was hit on the head with a laptop," he contended.
He also claimed that investigators told him the accused had been seen by many students forcing the victim to convert her religion. "He had brutally assaulted her a lot before killing her. So, we are seeking a postmortem here and have lodged a complaint here to ensure he does not escape if he is let off by the police in Uzbekistan," the family member said.
He further said the boy's parents were government employees and his brother is a doctor, and that the accused and the victim lived in the same hostel. The case in Kerala has now been registered as police await details from Uzbekistan while the family continues to press for further action.
