Family Of Pravin Varughese To File Complaint With Justice Department
(CBS) -- The Morton Grove family of an SIU student who died last February says they will file a complaint with the federal government over the police handling of the case.
It was a 14-and-a-half-hour driving trip for the family of 19-year-old Pravin Varughese - from the Chicago area to Washington, D.C.
They left here Wednesday and got back this weekend.
The trip to Washington was to talk to some members' of Illinois congressional delegation to try to get their support in the family's quest to get more answers.
Varughese died in February.
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His family has disputed the official cause of death: hypothermia. They believe somebody is responsible for his death because they say a second autopsy shows he was beaten.
Pravin's mother is Lovely Varughese, and she says while the family was in Washington, she got a call from the U.S. Justice Department.
"And they did tell me to file a formal complaint against the police department and the state's attorney and whoever I think violated my rights.
"So I am going to be doing that in the next few days."
Specifically, she says, the complaint will be filed against Carbondale police and the Jackson County state's attorney.
WBBM has asked Carbondale Police and the Jackson County State's Attorney for comment.
