This image was posted on Facebook by Kalabhavan Mani.
Highlights
- Kalabhavan Mani died in Kochi on March 6.
- A toxicology report on the death of the actor has found traces in ethanol
- He was believed to have been battling liver disease
A toxicology report on the death of Malayalam actor Kalabhavan Mani has found traces in insecticide, ethanol and methanol after an autopsy was conducted. Mr Mani, 45, died in Kochi on March 6.
The toxicology tests were conducted by the Regional Chemical Examiner's Laboratory at Kakkanad in Kochi. The 'very dangerous' insecticide 'Chlorpyrifos' was found in the samples as well as methy and ethyl alcohol, Joint Chemical Examiner K Muralidharan Nair told PTI.
"Chlorpyrifos is what is normally taken by people who want to commit suicide," a forensic official told the media.
It's not clear yet if the police suspect foul play but Mr Mani's family have gone on record to express doubts that the actor died of natural causes. His wife Nimmi dismissed family problems saying, "You can ask anyone. There were no issues between us."
She also added that Mr Mani could not have committed suicide. "I was told about Mani's admission in a hospital by his brother the next day. We want the truth to come out. He came up in life through hard work. He will never ever commit suicide," she told news agency IANS.
Asked if the actor had any enemies, she replied in the negative and suggested he had been encouraged to drink by his friends. Mr Mani allegedly consumed liquor in the company of some friends in his outhouse near Chalakkudy in Thrissur district after which he fell ill. The actor's brother R L V Ramakrishnan said that he suspected those who were with the actor had tried to destroy evidence by cleaning the place before the family and police reached the scene. The outhouse has now been sealed by the police.
The police have reportedly questioned three people, among them TV actor Sabu who was reportedly present at the outhouse but left just before Kalabhavan Mani fell ill. "I was in Chalakkudy for a shoot that day and after. Another actor and I visited the outhouse. There were quite a few people at that time and I left after some time," Sabu told the media on Friday.
Ramakrishnan said that the family would file a complaint after the chemical lab report. "He always lived for his friends, even at the expense of his family. Why did they do this? We want the truth to come out and know how this happened," he said about Mr Mani.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that the police probe was heading in the right direction. "The report will be out very soon. We will then take it forward," he told reporters. Innocent, a Lok Sabha member and president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, said: "We want the truth to come out."
Originally an autorickshaw driver, Kalabhavan Mani first shot to fame as a mimicry artist as part of the famous troupe Kalabhavan. His role as a blind man in Vasantiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum fetched him widespread acclaim and won him the special jury award at the national and the state level in 2000. He was often cast in villainous roles in Tamil films and played character roles in Malayalam cinema.(Also Read:
Kalabhavan Mani, so Long and Thanks For All the Laughs)
Tributes to Mr Mani poured in from several quarters after his death. Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy said that Mr Mani would 'live through his ballads and the numerous characters he played.' The Prime Minister's Office tweeted:
With Inputs from agencies