Thiruvananthapuram: The mystery surrounding the death of a Kerala cop deepened on Saturday after his family alleged that he was facing caste discrimination and mental torture by fellow policemen.

Kumar worked with the Kallekkad Armed Reserve camp in Palakkad district. His body was found knocked down by a train near the railway tracks.

Kumar's wife Sajini and brother Rangan have alleged that he was subjected to overwork and tortured psychologically as he belonged to the Adivasi community.

The family also accused his colleagues of abusing him and calling him an ‘idiot’ and said that the pent up frustration may have led him to take his life. The family insisted that Kumar was not going through any problems other than work-related pressure. It also did not rule out a well-planned murder behind the unnatural death.

Sajini also alleged that her husband was stripped naked and tortured. “He could not contact family for three months after his mobile phone was seized," she was quoted as telling a Malayalam daily.

Kumar opened up about the harassment once he stayed away from work, his brother Rangan said. "He met the district police chief and revealed about the policemen who tortured her while joining duty back," Rangan said.

However, Superintendent of Police G.Sivavikram, while admitting that Kumar had discussed with him the police quarters-related issues, ruled out allegations of caste discrimination.

A special investigation team headed by Palakkad Special Branch DySP is probing the case.