On actor Mani’s first death anniversary, brother on three-day fast

Chalakuddy (Kerala), March 4 (IANS) RLV Ramakrishnan, brother of late actor Kalabhavan Mani, on Saturday began a three-day fast here to protest against the fact that the police continue to grope in the dark to find out the cause of Mani's death even after a year.

It was on this day last year, Mani was taken to a hospital in Kochi from his farm house near Chalakuddy and breathed his last two days later on March 6.

"The scientific reports have come that two different poisonous substances were there in his body, but even as a year has passed since the probe began, the police are not able to crack the case," Ramakrishnan told the media at the protest venue.

Hugely popular 45-year-old Mani, who acted in 200 films in Malayalam and other languages, had an untimely death, leaving the film industry as well as those in his hometown in Chalakuddy, shocked.

A CBI probe into the death was sought soon after the new Pinarayi Vijayan-led government assumed office in May last year, but nothing has happened yet.

State Congress President V.M. Sudheeran told the media that his party also supports the need for a CBI probe into Mani's death.

A few of the actor's close aides who were present at his farmhouse when he collapsed, had undergone the lie-detector test earlier, but nothing has happened after that.

A public meeting is to be held here on the first death anniversary of the actor. Vijayan, as well as leading names from the film industry, will be taking part.

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