The Hindu : Kerala News : `Police should have taken preventive steps in Marad'

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Sunday, Jun 06, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

`Police should have taken preventive steps in Marad'

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE, JUNE 5. The Industries Minister, P.K. Kunhalikutty, has said that the police should have taken preventive steps to avert the massacre on the Marad beach on May 2, 2003.

Deposing before the Marad Judicial Inquiry Commission here today, Mr. Kunhalikutty said the police should have gathered information on the possibility of violence and taken effective steps to prevent the killings. He, however, maintained that he did not have an opinion that the Police Department had failed in its duty. ``Till now, I do not know if the police failed to take steps though it got intelligence inputs about the possibility of violence in Marad,'' said Mr. Kunhalikutty, who is also the Legislative Party leader of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).

Fielding a barrage of questions from the Hindu Aikya Vedi counsel, E.K. Santosh Kumar, and the Commission, Thomas P. Joseph, at the sitting, the Minister said he did not know whether the Additional Home Secretary had submitted an affidavit in the Kerala High Court stating that the police intelligence wing had reported about the possibility of violence in Marad. ``The Home Department need not inform (him) of the reports it had received. It was for them to take action. My role was that of a social activist to restore peace to the seaside village,'' he added.

Mr. Kunhalikutty said he had not visited Marad so far after the May 2 incident because he did not want to create any problem on account of his move. It was a collective decision taken at the Kozhikode Guest House on May 4, 2003 that only the Chief Minister need visit the strife-torn area. ``No government agency had given any information that my visit would create problems at Marad,'' he said.

He said the police intelligence reports were being handled by the Chief Minister. These reports were not revealed to the Cabinet colleagues.

During the examination, which lasted three hours, the Muslim League counsel, N. Ali Koya, pleaded before the Commission that the Minister was being asked to reveal information that he was bound not to reveal under the Officials Secrets Act.

The Commission, overruling Mr. Ali's objection, said it was for the witness to point out that answering a specific question pertained to breach of oath of secrecy. Mr. Kunhalikutty said he had not revealed any secret information relating to the affairs of the State.

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