Roy Mathew's widow unlikely to get much from Army: Cops

Lance Naik Roy Mathew's funeral was held in Kerala on Saturday with ministers making a beeline to reach his grieving widow Fini, Pic courtesy: Kollam (rural) police

After Lance Naik Roy Mathew was laid to rest on Saturday in Kerala, the family yesterday expressed their worry over what compensation his widow Fini would be entitled to from the army, as Roy was the breadwinner.

Also read: Army blames media for death of whistle-blower soldier Lance-Naik Roy Mathew

A senior army officer (retired) told mid-day, "There seems little chance of the family getting any form of compensation, as the post-mortem and diary notes found clearly indicate that it is a case of suicide. Though the widow might be entitled to his unclaimed salary and provident fund, she getting his insurance, gratuity and pension seems difficult."

Father Mathew Yabeth

Two-pronged probe
The two-member team from Kerala police, who are conducting a parallel probe in Roy's death, visited Nashik yesterday for the Accidental Death Report (ADR) details, inquest panchnama and his provisional cause of death certificate. The team will return to Kerala on Tuesday.

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Assistant sub-inspector Satish Kumar and home guard Rajendran Nair said, "We have collected the relevant papers. As most content is in Marathi, we will get it translated on our return to Kerala."

When asked if the police team would visit the army camp where the incident had happened and question the deceased's colleagues, the policemen replied in the negative.

The army officer said, "In this case, as a diary note has been found, the army will surely constitute a board to ascertain the circumstances that led to him ending his life."

Cousin speaks
However, Roy's cousin Jijo Jose in Kollam, Kerala, said, "Roy had no clue about the hidden camera and was speaking to the woman introduced as a friend by a colleague. He was in shock, as he was never told that the woman was a journalist and was recording the conversation. He felt cheated when the video went on air."

Jose said the body was taken to the school where Roy studied and then to the burial ground attached to St Paul's Malankara Catholic Church, his parish, and buried in its graveyard.

"While hundreds of people attended the funeral, senior police officers were only present to ensure the ministers' convenience; no one was really bothered about his death, it was just a publicity stunt," alleged Jose.

Multiple findings
Deputy commissioner of police (zone II) Shrikant Dhivare said, "We haven't found a handwriting specimen of Roy Mathew from the army; hence, we are now approaching his family to send that to us, so that we can give it for analysis."

Also read: I fear I may lose my job, soldier in sting video told family

When asked if the police would touch base with the journalist from the web portal, the DCP said, "We have contacted her and she has assured us that she will cooperate."

Kollam (rural) superintendent of police S Surendran said, "We will compare the findings that the Deolali camp police have written in the inquest panchnama and the ADR they have filed with we have come across during our course of inquiry. Also, the post-mortem findings at Nashik Civil Hospital will be compared with those of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College's second autopsy report."