Kochi: A CBI Court in Thiruvananthapuram today found five cops guilty of custodial death of one Udayakumar in September 27, 2005.

Constables Jithu Kumar, Sreekumar, circle inspector E K Sabu, Sub-Inspector T Ajit Kumar, Assistant Commissioner Haridas were found responsible for the death of Udayakumar.

Additional Sub Inspector Soman, who was also accused in the case, died during the course of trial.

Udayakumar was detained along with Suresh Kumar, a history sheeter, from Sreekanteswaram park in Thiruvananthapuram on charges of theft on September 27. He died in police custody the same day. The post mortem revealed he had sustained 22 injuries due to torture. The police had used third degree method of rolling a heavy steel pipe over the body of the victim.

The case was first probed by Kerala police and was heading towards nowhere.

Depressed over this, Udayakumar’s mother Prabhavati Amma approached the High Court seeking a probe by CBI which was agreed by the court and the probe began in 2007.

In 2016, the High Court directed the State Government to pay an interim compensation of Rs 10 lakh to Prabhavati Amma.