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Custodial death: Murali seeks judicial probe

Special Correspondent

No decision yet on Thiruvananthapuram byelection; LDF recognition for mutual help

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTTHIRUVANANTHAPURAM: SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTTHIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) (DIC-K) president K. Muraleedharan has demanded a judicial probe or a CBI inquiry into the custodial death at the Fort police station here.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Mr. Muraleedharan said the Crime Branch probe ordered by the Government would turn futile going by the drama staged by the police in the court premises the other day.

The City Police Commissioner had asked the Circle Inspector, who had stage-managed the drama, to submit a report on the matter, he said.

He said that his party's demand for a CBI probe into the SSLC question paper leak had been vindicated by the High Court ruling in this regard. In the Kanichikulangara murder case, the police had protected the accused and the case was being probed at a snail's pace. In all crime cases since the SSLC question paper leak, the police had sided with the accused, he alleged.

He said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had promised strong action against the accused, but it remained in words.

The Government had lost the moral right to continue in office now that the Lok Ayuktha had found large-scale diversion of tsunami funds.

"We are not demanding the UDF Government's resignation, but that is what any respectful person should be doing," Mr. Muraleedharan said.

Mr. Muraleedharan said that the BJP and the UDF had come together in several panchayats to capture power contrary to KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala's and the IUML leader P.K. Kunhalikutty's public pronouncements that the UDF would not touch the BJP. He wanted to know what the "Oommen Congress" and Mr. Kunhalikutty had to say about such alliances.

This kind of alliance was widespread in Kasaragod in panchayats like Chemmanad, where the BJP and the UDF contested together. The DIC(K) won the president's post through draw-of-lots.

The two parties came together in Kanhangad municipality in another tied contest that found a UDF Independent taking the chairman's post in draw-of-lots.

In Changanassery, the three-member Independent block had contested for the chairman's post with the support of the BJP and the UDF.

But in a tied contest the LDF had won the post in draw-of-lots. The vice-president's post was won by the UDF-BJP supported Independent, he said.

To a question on the Lok Sabha byelections, He said his party's parliamentary board would meet on October 10 to discuss the issue.

The party had not yet taken a decision on whether it should contest the byelections.

When asked whether his party had been confirmed as a partner in the LDF and whether the good will would continue in the coming days, Mr. Muraleedharan said that his party had contributed to the LDF's victory and vice-versa.

"We are happy to get accommodation in some of the posts of presiding officers as a recognition of our contribution," he said.

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