Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram   

Pallickal clash: two policemen suspended

By Our Staff Reporter

Thiruvananthapuram Dec. 22. The DIG (Thiruvananthapuram Range), Arun Kumar Sinha, today suspended two policemen, including a sub- inspector (Pallickal station), on charges of dereliction of duty in connection with the violence at Pallickal on December 13, in which several persons were injured and private buses stoned.

Those suspended are Babu, sub-inspector, and Rajan, assistant sub-inspector, both at the Pallickal police station. Several buses belonging to a private stage carriage operator were stoned and a police patrol party attacked in a stand-off between bus employees and locals at Pallickal on December 13 evening. The issue had assumed a communal colour forcing the police to deploy in strength in the Kilimanoor area.

The buses attacked by the miscreants belonged to one K. R. Basanthan, a State-level office-bearer of the SNDP Union. Among those arrested in connection with the attack were M. A. Rahim, Pallickal panchayat member, Sukur (52) and Liju (35).

The incident, which was triggered of by an altercation between staff of the K.R. group and locals at Pallickal, had been the cause of communal tension in the area for the past several days.

The DIG visited Pallickal on Sunday and called all the parties concerned to the station as part of an official inquiry into the incident. When contacted, Mr.Sinha told that a group of K.R. bus employees, including some Bengalis, had arrived at the junction on December 13 evening, resulting in a scuffle with the locals.

This incident had sparked off a series of attacks against buses owned by the K.R. Group operating in the Kilmanoor area. Though the first incident had happened in front of the Pallickal station, the police had failed to act promptly or register a case on the basis of complaints from the local people.

In contrast, the station officials were seen to be prompt in registering a case on the basis of the complaint given by the staff and management of the K. R. group.

Mr. Sinha said the `apparently one-sided' action by the police had led the local people to accuse the station officials of partisanship. The SP (Rural), Balaram Upadhyaya, was also present during the inquiry. Meanwhile, the police continues to be posted in strength at Pallickal to prevent any untoward incidents.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Nature lovers to the rescue of grand old mahogany
• Auto-driver killed in gang attack
• Pallickal clash: two policemen suspended
• At Sabarimala today

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu