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| Parents accuse Met of errors and prejudice in inquiry into son's death Parents accuse Met of errors and prejudice in inquiry into son's death | |
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| The family of a teenager whose body was found in the Thames last year have claimed that a catalogue of errors led to their son’s death being wrongly determined to be a suicide and accused Metropolitan police service staff of racist behaviour. | The family of a teenager whose body was found in the Thames last year have claimed that a catalogue of errors led to their son’s death being wrongly determined to be a suicide and accused Metropolitan police service staff of racist behaviour. |
| Krishna Chummun, 19, was preparing to begin his second year of a business studies degree at BPP University in London when he went missing. Before his death he had told his mother he was “madly in love” with someone from another religion, a Sikh woman whom he hoped to marry despite disapproval from members of the local community. On 7 August 2015 he boarded a night bus home after playing football with friends in Enfield, but never arrived. | Krishna Chummun, 19, was preparing to begin his second year of a business studies degree at BPP University in London when he went missing. Before his death he had told his mother he was “madly in love” with someone from another religion, a Sikh woman whom he hoped to marry despite disapproval from members of the local community. On 7 August 2015 he boarded a night bus home after playing football with friends in Enfield, but never arrived. |
| His body was recovered eight weeks later after being spotted by a passerby near the London Eye, but he was not identified until December. His cause of death was eventually described as “unascertained” in an open verdict by the coroner William Dolman, who said there were “too many gaps” in the case to establish the exact circumstances. | His body was recovered eight weeks later after being spotted by a passerby near the London Eye, but he was not identified until December. His cause of death was eventually described as “unascertained” in an open verdict by the coroner William Dolman, who said there were “too many gaps” in the case to establish the exact circumstances. |
| Pradeep Chummun, 52, and his wife, Medha, 47, say a series of police missteps could have undermined the investigation into their son’s disappearance. In a witness statement Pradeep Chummun says that Met staff were “insensitive, rude and at times unhelpful” because they were “prejudiced due to our ethnicity”. A Met spokesman said the matter had been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). | Pradeep Chummun, 52, and his wife, Medha, 47, say a series of police missteps could have undermined the investigation into their son’s disappearance. In a witness statement Pradeep Chummun says that Met staff were “insensitive, rude and at times unhelpful” because they were “prejudiced due to our ethnicity”. A Met spokesman said the matter had been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). |
| The family are calling for a murder case to be opened, and their complaints against the Met are the subject of an inquiry by the IPCC. | The family are calling for a murder case to be opened, and their complaints against the Met are the subject of an inquiry by the IPCC. |
| “Every day we are dying slowly,” Medha said. “I’m so stressed out. Nothing is happening. It has been nearly one and a half years since my son is gone and still we are left in the dark. | “Every day we are dying slowly,” Medha said. “I’m so stressed out. Nothing is happening. It has been nearly one and a half years since my son is gone and still we are left in the dark. |
| “We are just given excuses and left to our own pain every day. I can’t understand it in a country like this where justice is supposed to be. We keep asking the police questions but they are still sleeping on the case.” | “We are just given excuses and left to our own pain every day. I can’t understand it in a country like this where justice is supposed to be. We keep asking the police questions but they are still sleeping on the case.” |
| Among their claims, the couple say police: | Among their claims, the couple say police: |
| Chummun’s body was recovered on 10 October, still wearing his black Nike AirMax trainers, a black T-shirt with the words “premier premium goods” and a distinctive Casio gold-plated watch that had been a gift from his uncle. | Chummun’s body was recovered on 10 October, still wearing his black Nike AirMax trainers, a black T-shirt with the words “premier premium goods” and a distinctive Casio gold-plated watch that had been a gift from his uncle. |
| It was evident from the condition of the body that he had been in the river for some time, and police were apparently unable to identify him despite the distinguishable items worn. The Met has previously said he was wearing a different shoe size and clothes to those he had been wearing when reported missing. It was not until 21 December that he was identified, using three teeth extracted from his mouth that were matched during a speculative one-off search of the national database. | It was evident from the condition of the body that he had been in the river for some time, and police were apparently unable to identify him despite the distinguishable items worn. The Met has previously said he was wearing a different shoe size and clothes to those he had been wearing when reported missing. It was not until 21 December that he was identified, using three teeth extracted from his mouth that were matched during a speculative one-off search of the national database. |
| Five days later, on Boxing Day, five months after he went missing, the parents were told their son had been found. | Five days later, on Boxing Day, five months after he went missing, the parents were told their son had been found. |
| On the same day five years earlier, Medha had suffered a stroke, which led to her undergoing five operations. “It’s an unlucky date for us in this family,” Pradeep said. “When Medha was ill, Krishna was always at her bedside and devoted much of his time to caring for her. He was a good son to her and she is heartbroken without him.” | On the same day five years earlier, Medha had suffered a stroke, which led to her undergoing five operations. “It’s an unlucky date for us in this family,” Pradeep said. “When Medha was ill, Krishna was always at her bedside and devoted much of his time to caring for her. He was a good son to her and she is heartbroken without him.” |
| A postmortem examination was unable to determine Chummun’s cause of death and toxicology tests found no trace of drugs in his liver. At an inquest on 7 April, Dolman ruled there was not sufficient evidence to find that the teenager had intended to kill himself. | A postmortem examination was unable to determine Chummun’s cause of death and toxicology tests found no trace of drugs in his liver. At an inquest on 7 April, Dolman ruled there was not sufficient evidence to find that the teenager had intended to kill himself. |
| He said: “Applying the facts to the law, we don’t have any evidence of what act he undertook that might have led to his death. We don’t know if he fell, was thrown, slipped … we just don’t know.” | He said: “Applying the facts to the law, we don’t have any evidence of what act he undertook that might have led to his death. We don’t know if he fell, was thrown, slipped … we just don’t know.” |
| In the days after Chummun went missing, his parents launched a frantic effort to find him, texting and calling friends and relatives. They say his girlfriend visited and told them the couple had argued on the phone on the night of his disappearance, and he had sent her text messages claiming he was going to kill himself. At the inquest into his death she said that he had made similar comments “once or twice” before. | In the days after Chummun went missing, his parents launched a frantic effort to find him, texting and calling friends and relatives. They say his girlfriend visited and told them the couple had argued on the phone on the night of his disappearance, and he had sent her text messages claiming he was going to kill himself. At the inquest into his death she said that he had made similar comments “once or twice” before. |
| The couple said that when they contacted the police, officers tried to brush off their concerns that the disappearance was out of character. | The couple said that when they contacted the police, officers tried to brush off their concerns that the disappearance was out of character. |
| “From day one we were treated like second-class citizens,” said Pradeep, who works as a psychiatric nurse. “They think because we are from an ethnic minority we are ignorant. | “From day one we were treated like second-class citizens,” said Pradeep, who works as a psychiatric nurse. “They think because we are from an ethnic minority we are ignorant. |
| “A woman from the missing persons unit saw a suitcase in our house. She shook it and said: ‘He’s not going to fit in there, is he?’ Our son is missing and she is making a sarcastic joke. It really upset us.” | “A woman from the missing persons unit saw a suitcase in our house. She shook it and said: ‘He’s not going to fit in there, is he?’ Our son is missing and she is making a sarcastic joke. It really upset us.” |
| A week after Chummun’s disappearance, the family say, a relative reported that their neighbour, an 82-year-old woman named Rita, claimed she had seen him being attacked and kidnapped on the night he went missing. | A week after Chummun’s disappearance, the family say, a relative reported that their neighbour, an 82-year-old woman named Rita, claimed she had seen him being attacked and kidnapped on the night he went missing. |
| “Rita said that she saw from an upstairs window Krishna being attacked by three men,” Chummun’s father claimed. “She said one had a gun in his hand, one was arguing with Krishna and a third man attacked him with a baseball bat. Then she said they put him in a black Transit van and drove away.” | “Rita said that she saw from an upstairs window Krishna being attacked by three men,” Chummun’s father claimed. “She said one had a gun in his hand, one was arguing with Krishna and a third man attacked him with a baseball bat. Then she said they put him in a black Transit van and drove away.” |
| Babs Ryan, another neighbour, said that a few days after Chummun’s disappearance Rita had confided in her about what she had seen on the Friday night he went missing. | Babs Ryan, another neighbour, said that a few days after Chummun’s disappearance Rita had confided in her about what she had seen on the Friday night he went missing. |
| “She said that these men came up in a van and demanded that he go with them. She said they took his keys and that they were shouting at him. She said something about they had a gun in their hands and they banged him on the head and threw him in the van. It was near midnight.” | “She said that these men came up in a van and demanded that he go with them. She said they took his keys and that they were shouting at him. She said something about they had a gun in their hands and they banged him on the head and threw him in the van. It was near midnight.” |
| Ryan went on: “She took ill about the same time and died a few weeks later. She shut herself away and she pined. She was unwell anyway but worrying about him didn’t help.” | Ryan went on: “She took ill about the same time and died a few weeks later. She shut herself away and she pined. She was unwell anyway but worrying about him didn’t help.” |
| The family say they immediately related the allegations to police but were alarmed at the way they were handled. “They said they had looked into it but called back about half an hour later and said no such thing had happened … that it was all hearsay and rumours,” Pradeep said. | The family say they immediately related the allegations to police but were alarmed at the way they were handled. “They said they had looked into it but called back about half an hour later and said no such thing had happened … that it was all hearsay and rumours,” Pradeep said. |
| “At this point I was trying to calm Medha down because she was hysterical.” | “At this point I was trying to calm Medha down because she was hysterical.” |
| Rita confirmed her account to Medha, the family say, but died in December and the couple fear police never took a proper statement from her. The Met and IPCC declined to comment on specifics of the case. | Rita confirmed her account to Medha, the family say, but died in December and the couple fear police never took a proper statement from her. The Met and IPCC declined to comment on specifics of the case. |
| The couple also claim they urged police to check CCTV in the area, but were later told that CCTV footage was only kept for 30 days. Police knew about the abduction allegation within 23 days of the disappearance. Pradeep said he was also told “there are thousands of cameras in London” and it was not possible to search them all. | The couple also claim they urged police to check CCTV in the area, but were later told that CCTV footage was only kept for 30 days. Police knew about the abduction allegation within 23 days of the disappearance. Pradeep said he was also told “there are thousands of cameras in London” and it was not possible to search them all. |
| He said he also asked if the river could be searched, but claims he was told: “No, the Thames current is so strong that it would break the body to pieces and drag it away.” | He said he also asked if the river could be searched, but claims he was told: “No, the Thames current is so strong that it would break the body to pieces and drag it away.” |
| The family say they do not know whether records from Chummun’s Oyster card, bank card and mobile phone were checked. | The family say they do not know whether records from Chummun’s Oyster card, bank card and mobile phone were checked. |
| “I feel like in our dealings with the police we are the ones being treated like criminals,” Medha said. “It has taken its toll on my health and I have to take sleeping pills and antidepressants to get through the day. | “I feel like in our dealings with the police we are the ones being treated like criminals,” Medha said. “It has taken its toll on my health and I have to take sleeping pills and antidepressants to get through the day. |
| “We have made a vow to find out what happened to our boy. I’m 100% sure my son was murdered and someone is just sitting there getting away with it.” | “We have made a vow to find out what happened to our boy. I’m 100% sure my son was murdered and someone is just sitting there getting away with it.” |
| A spokesman for the Met police confirmed that their inquiries into the death had concluded, and added: “The IPCC is independently investigating issues raised by the family of Krishna Chummun in a complaint. This was voluntarily referred to them by the Met on 2 February. | A spokesman for the Met police confirmed that their inquiries into the death had concluded, and added: “The IPCC is independently investigating issues raised by the family of Krishna Chummun in a complaint. This was voluntarily referred to them by the Met on 2 February. |
| “We await the IPCC’s report and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage. No officer is suspended or on restricted duties.” | “We await the IPCC’s report and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage. No officer is suspended or on restricted duties.” |
| The IPCC said its investigation was continuing and it would therefore not be appropriate to comment. | The IPCC said its investigation was continuing and it would therefore not be appropriate to comment. |