The Hindu : Kerala News : `Nothing was done to strengthen police force at Marad'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 18, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

`Nothing was done to strengthen police force at Marad'

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE, DEC. 17. In his deposition before the Marad Judicial Inquiry Commission today, the Thiruvananthapuram Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) Superintendent of Police, A. M. Abdul Rahim, said that he had thrice made the request in writing to the then Kozhikode City Police Commissioner, Sanjeev Kumar Patjoshi, that the police force be strengthened in Marad after the communal clashes there in January 2002.

Clashes

Mr. Rahim was the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Kozhikode South Zone, during the clashes between Hindus and Muslims in January 2002 and the one-sided attack on Hindu fishermen on May 2, 2003, in Marad. He also submitted the copies of his report written on August 22, 2002, September 6, 2002 and January 25, 2003 in a sealed cover today.

Mr. Patjoshi had replied to all his reports saying that he would write to the police headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram. And he was informed to manage with personnel from other sub-divisions. But no steps had been taken in this regard till he was transferred, he said.

Police deployment

At the time of the incident, a head constable along with three or four constables were on duty at the police control room at Marad. While the total police deployment on the beach was 26 policemen, it was 13 at the time of the attack. Though the control room was equipped with rifles, tear-gas shells and plastic pellets, the police personnel did not have the will power to use them, Mr. Rahim said while replying to questions from the Commission, Thomas P. Joseph.

While refuting the allegations made by the former Director General of Police (DGP), K. J. Joseph, on the reasons why he had been transferred to the police headquarters from the ACP's post, Mr. Rahim said the former DGP had been misled by some one and that his inference was not correct. What the former DGP testified before the Commission was different from the statements he had made before the media on the same issue, Mr. Rahim said. Since the top police officer's statements before the Commission had harmed his integrity and reputation, Mr. Rahim appealed to the Commission to cross-examine the former DGP. Besides, he urged the Commission to see that the Police Department did not victimise him on account of his deposition.

Documents sought

The Commission today issued orders to the DGP, ADGP (Intelligence), IGP (Intelligence) and the DIG (Intelligence) asking them to file documents that had been submitted by the Special Branch, Kozhikode Range, on the adverse reports given against some police officers who had jurisdiction over the Marad area between January 2002 and June 2003 and the action taken against them.

In another order, the Commission asked the Kannur Range DIG to furnish details pertaining to the reports of rift between the former Kozhikode City Police Commissioner, T.K. Vinod Kumar, and the Kozhikode District Collector, T. O. Sooraj, on the Marad issue.

Mr. Rahim's examination will continue on January 1, 2005.

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

Kerala

News Update

Stories in this Section