The Hindu : Kerala News : `Order judicial probe into attack on mediapersons'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 03, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

`Order judicial probe into attack on mediapersons'

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, NOV. 2. The CPI(M) State secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan, has sought a judicial inquiry into the attack on mediapersons by Muslim League activists at the Karipur airport on Monday.

Addressing the LDF State leaders' fast before the Secretariat protest against the attacks on media organisations and mediapersons here today, Mr. Vijayan pointed out that the attack was pre-meditated and carried with the objective of silencing the presspersons who had reported the disclosures made by the victim in the Kozhikode ice-cream parlour case about the involvement of the Industries Minister, P.K. Kunhalikutty, in the scandal.

Coming down heavily on the Government decision to have the happenings in Karipur airport investigated by the IG (Northern Range), he said the Chief Minister had decided to do so with the intention of saving the culprits. Muslim League cadres had launched the violence in the hope of saving Mr. Kunhalikutty's ministership. But it would be in the interests of the Muslim League and its workers for Mr. Kunhalikutty to step down, he said.

`Vacate the stay'

Earlier, inaugurating the fast, the Leader of the Opposition, V.S. Achuthanandan, said the Government should immediately get the stay on the ice-cream parlour case vacated so that the trial to could proceed smoothly. The sex racket victim has been accused of having changed her deposition, but it should not be forgotten that the case was still in the trial stage and no decision had been handed down, he said. Drawing parallels with the Best Bakery Case, he pointed out that in that the Supreme Court had allowed the rape victim to change her deposition, which was made under duress, and case tried again in a court outside Gujarat. A free and fair trial in the case would be possible only if Mr. Kunhalikutty stepped down, he added.

Sense of propriety

The CPI State secretary, Veliyam Bhargavan, said the Chief Minister should ask Mr. Kunhalikutty if he had any sense of propriety. The CPI(M) Central committee member, M.A. Baby, the CITU State general secretary, P.K. Gurudasan, the RSP State secretary, T.J. Chandrachoodan, the CPI State assistant secretary, Panniyan Ravindran, the CPI Legislature party leader, K.P. Rajendran, the Janata Dal(S) Legislature party leader, C.K. Nanu, the Congress(S) State president, Ramachandran Kadannappalli, Kerala Congress(J) general secretary, K.C. Joseph, MLA, the Kerala Congress(Secular) leader, P.C. George, the NCP State president, Cyriac John, the CPI(M) district secretary, M. Vijayakumar, the CPI(M) MP, P. Rajendran, the MLAs Pirappankode Murali, Mankode Radhakrishnan and N. Rajan, the former Forest Minister N.M. Joseph, among others, participated in the fast.

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