The Hindu : Kerala News : IUML never interfered in Marad probe: Kunhalikutty

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Tuesday, Jun 15, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

IUML never interfered in Marad probe: Kunhalikutty

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE, JUNE 14. In his deposition before the Marad Judicial Inquiry Commission today, the Industries Minister, P.K. Kunhalikutty, said that the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) had never interfered in the police investigations into the massacre at Marad on May 2, 2003.

He said that his party had wholeheartedly supported the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, and the Home Department to nab the culprits involved in the incident. "Except in the case of the local activists in the area, the investigations had not been directed against any senior leader of the IUML. So why should the party interfere in the investigations,'' Mr. Kunhalikutty asked during his deposition at a sitting of the Commission here.

He said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders had dragged his name into the case simply to politicise the issue. "I used to ask the BJP leaders why they were issuing statements against me. Several leaders told me that either the media misquoted them or that it was a political statement since the IUML was the second largest party in the United Democratic Front (UDF),'' he said, adding that most of the BJP leaders were his close friends.

Mr. Kunhalikutty said that the former Union Minister of State for Defence, O. Rajagopal, had called him to say that he had not issued statements against him. Even the Hindu Aikya Vedi leader, Kummanam Rajashekaran, in his deposition before Commission earlier had not accused him of direct involvement but only said that the he had a moral responsibility.

"I have done no harm in Marad. The local BJP and RSS leaders had appreciated my good work. At a time when restoring peace seemed impossible after the incident at Marad, I took the initiative to bring the leaders of the Hindu and the Muslim communities together,'' he said.

Replying to a query whether he was opposed to a CBI probe into his purposeful negligence, the conspiracy, the involvement of terrorists groups and interests of the Pakistan-based Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) would come to light, Mr. Kunhalikutty said that he and his party had never opposed a probe by the CBI into the incident.

He said that IUML had not been rattled by the decisions of the Chief Minister to conduct police raids, the arrest of several accused, the seizure of weapons from the Marad Juma Masjid and the recovery of explosives from Beypore and adjoining areas. The Cabinet had taken a decision not to order a CBI inquiry based on the opinion given by the Advocate General on the issue.

Asked whether it was the influence of extremist elements on the Government to give Rs. 10 lakhs to the family of Ibrahim Azhgar, who was accidentally killed during the massacre and has been named one of the accused, Mr. Kunhalikutty said that the Cabinet decided to give compensation to the families of those killed in the violence. He denied the allegation that he had send his relative and the National Development Front leader, K.P.O. Rahumatullah, as an emissary to the social activist and writer, K. Panur, and had offered him a coveted post in the Kerala Sahitya Akademi when he resigned from the post of chairman of the Confederation of Human Rights Organisation in protest against its decision to invite Hurriyat leaders to the State.

Meanwhile, the Commission today issued orders asking the former Kozhikode City Police Commissioner, Neera Rawat, to submit an affidavit within a month after going through the report submitted by the Hindu Aikya Vedi leader, Kummanam Rajashekaran, on the activities of the National Development Front (NDF). The Commission also issued orders to examine the Madhyamam and the Kerala Kaumudi bureau chiefs and another individual, Mohammed Faizal, on June 24 as part of the probe into the Marad massacre. It was also decided not to examine the Minister for Public Works, M.K. Muneer, and the former Minister for Electricity, K. Muraleedharan. A decision on examining the CPI(M) State secretary will be decided at the next sitting.

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