THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: SR Sreejith, who has been on an indefinite protest in front of state secretariat demanding CBI inquiry into the alleged custodial death of his younger brother in 2014, has refused to withdraw his strike until the CBI starts the probe.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan 's private secretary and CPM leader MV Jayarajan here on Friday called on Sreejith and handed over the copy of the union government order for CBI inquiry into the custodial death of Sreejith's brother Sreejeev on May 21, 2014. Sreejith started his indefinite strike in 2015 in front of state secretariat. Jayarajan claimed that the state government has honoured three major demands raised by Sreejith and his mother and requested him to withdraw his hunger strike.

According to Jayarajan, the state government could successfully persuade the union government to order CBI inquiry into the custodial death of Sreejeev, the government has taken steps to vacate the high court's stay order against the proceedings against police personnel allegedly involved in the custodial death of Sreejiv. The HC had stayed the proceedings on the state police complaint authority's findings that three policemen were responsible for the death of Sreejjith 's brother. Also, the DGP has given orders to probe Sreejith's mother's complaint that police men were trying to harass her whenever she steps out of her house.

However, Sreejith who on last week met chief minister, said the order for CBI inquiry cannot be construed as a victory of his strike. "The government could have done all this well in advance. I don’t think this order, any way served my purpose. Let the CBI begin the probe. Then only I would wind up my strike'', he said.

The strike by Sreejith become a centre of attraction very recently, after social media champions rallied behind him and following this, the main stream political party leaders too have come out in support of Sreejith. Shashi Tharoor MP and K C Venugopal M P of the Congress party has on the other day called on union minister concerned as pressed for CBI inquiry. The union government had earlier ruled out the state government request for CBI inquiry into the custodial death.

Following the orders of the police complaint authority, the state government has earlier handed over a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the Sreejeev's family.

