The Hindu : Kerala News : Shame for the entire State, says Chandy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 29, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Shame for the entire State, says Chandy

By Our Special Correspondent

KOZHIKODE, SEPT. 28. The Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, today visited the Dalit colony at Pantheerankavu near here where the volunteers of the Missionaries of Charity were attacked by a gang of miscreants on September 18.

After the visit, the Chief Minister said: ``It is a heinous act. This is not an issue concerning any particular section of our society. It is a shame for the entire State.''

Free ration

The colony residents had told him that the nuns who were attacked were a big help to them. The Chief Minister was quite upset by the pathetic condition of the colony and its residents and ordered free ration for two weeks and Rs. 5 lakhs for improving the roads. The District Collector had also been directed to draw up an employment programme for the residents under the Kudumbasree project.

No benefits of the Government welfare programmes, including those under the People's Plan implemented by the previous Government, had reached them, he said. Based on representations received from the colony residents, he had asked the officials concerned to initiate steps for supply of water and electricity. The requests for title deeds would also be examined and if possible granted, he said.

Investigation on

At a press conference here today, Mr. Chandy said the local police and the Crime Branch were jointly investigating the attack. He said that 13 persons suspected to be involved in the attack had been identified. However, he would not divulge anything more since the inquiry had not been completed.

An intensive search had been launched for them. But they were believed to have fled from the town. ``Wherever they are, they will be nabbed,'' the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Chandy said the joint inquiry was being directly supervised by Aravind Ranjan, Inspector General of Police (North). The Chief Minister said the police inquiry so far had been quite efficient.

No agency probe

He did not subscribe to the view that an outside agency should be called in to conduct the inquiry. Outside agency would be called in only when there was clear police failure or when police was involved in the case. Neither of these had happened in this case, he said.

The Crime Branch had been asked to join the probe since the resources of the local police had been fully stretched by the ongoing agitations by various organisations and political parties in the case relating to the attack on nuns. Moreover, the police force would also be busy tomorrow to tackle the LDF's State-wide agitation to lay siege to Collectorates and the Secretariat.

Earlier, Mr. Chandy was accorded a warm reception at the DCC office. Despite rain, a large crowd of supporters attended the function. Among them were the former KPCC president, K. Muraleedharan, the former Tourism Minister, P. Sankaran, A. Sujanapal, MLA, and the DCC president, M. Veerankutty.

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