Mystery around Kerala actor’s death deepens

Mystery around the death of Kerala film star Kalabhavan Mani deepened yesterday after his viscera samples tested positive for poisoning.Mani, 45, died of a cardiac arrest on March 6 at a Kochi hospital where he was admitted two days ago in a critical condition after consuming alcohol despite suffering from cirrhosis.Police are questioning some of his close aides and friends who visited him at his farmhouse on the banks of River Periyar on March 4 before he fell ill.Inspector general M R Ajith Kumar said tests at the Regional Chemical Examiner’s Laboratory in the port city found methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol and a very dangerous organophosphorus pesticide.“It’s an unnatural death,” he told reporters after visiting the actor’s family in Chalakudy.“We have widened the investigation after receiving the report.”The blood and urine samples collected at the hospital are also being sent to the lab for further examination.Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said he would seek the opinion of the family, who suspected foul play, and take necessary action while Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said he had asked the police chief to review the investigation.“There will be a foolproof investigation. The current probe team can be expanded if needed,” he said.Police had earlier registered a case of unnatural death after doctors who attended to the actor told police that traces of methyl alcohol was found in his blood. They suspected that the actor had consumed spurious liquor.Forensic experts pointed out that organophosphorus pesticide is what people consume to commit suicide. However, a combination of all three of the foreign substances found in the actor’s body was a rarity, they said.Mani’s widow Nimmi disclosed she knew about his hospitalisation only a day after the incident.“We suspect foul play,” she said. “He has been through a lot since childhood and was mentally strong. He would never kill himself,” she insisted.Nimmi also rubbished reports of marital discord, though the actor’s sister claimed he had been keeping away from home and was mostly in the company of his friends at the farmhouse.“There were no family problems between us,” she told reporters.  “He had no enemies either.”Thousands of mourners had thronged the town to pay homage to Mani. Grieving fans continue to pay tribute to him in the social media, sharing his past interviews and the ballads he popularised.Mani’s younger brother R L V Ramakrishnan said he believed Mani’s associates had encouraged him to consume alcohol and they had a role in his death.Ramakrishnan suspected that those who were with the actor at his farmhouse had tried to destroy evidence by cleaning the place before the family and police reached the site.Police had on Thursday questioned TV anchor Sabu and small time actor Jaffer Idukki, who were with him in the outhouse and left before his doctor friend took him to the hospital.“When I reached there, Mani had vomited blood but was refusing to go to the hospital. I had to administer sleeping pills,” Dr Sumesh said.Both Sabu and Idukki have denied the claims of Mani’s driver Peter and manager Jobi that they had consumed alcohol with the star.Actor Innocent, a lawmaker and president of Association of Malayalam Movie Actors (Amma), also demanded a thorough probe.“It’s clear that something has gone wrong somewhere,” he said.