Kalabhavan Mani death: Polygraphs ordered

Chalakkudy, Kerala: A court has asked six of the late actor Kalabhavan Mani’s close aides have been asked to undergo a lie detector test as part of an ingoing investigation into his death.

Mani died at a hospital in Kochi on March 6. The cause of his death is still unknown, and the Kerala government has sought a CBI probe after an insecticide, Chlorpyrifos, was found in the actor’s body.

The new development came after Mani’s relatives expressed doubts over his close aides who always accompanied the actor.

The Chalakkudy police had submitted a request to the Chief Magistrate’s Court, following which the court called the six aides, who have agreed to undergo the test.

Mani, 45, who acted in 200 films in Malayalam and other languages, was admitted to a hospital in Kochi on March 4, apparently suffering from a liver ailment.

Mani was staying at a 30-acre farmhouse near Chalakkudy, away from his home where his wife and daughter reside.

After his death, hospital authorities reported the presence of the chemical in his body, leading to speculation that he might not have died a natural death.