THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy asserted here on Wednesday that the Government would suppress anti-social elements in the State.

Talking to mediapersons after the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said that some known depredators had already been arrested.

The Government, he said, would bring in the legislation to check felonious activities in the next session of the Assembly itself. The law would help to put down criminals.

Asked about the attack on Executive Editor of the Amrita Television Neelakantan over a feature broadcast by the channel about anti-social elements, the Chief Minister promised strong action against the culprits.

Mr. Chandy said that the Government would not countenance bomb making and violence in Kannur. The CPI(M) had intimidated a police officer who arrested party supporters while they were making bombs. Such tendencies ought to be discouraged.

Public opinion would also have to be built to tackle the situation in the district. The way the CPI(M) functioned in the district was a matter of shame on the State.

Referring to the protest over delay in booking those who attacked the Bishop's House at Neyyattinkara, the Chief Minister said that police could not make anyone the accused just because of protests.

They could act only on the basis of evidence.

The investigation of the case had been entrusted to the Crime Branch as wanted by the dioceses and it was doing its job in finding the real culprits. The police were free to conduct the investigation properly. There was no need for concern that they would fail to detect the case. There was delay because there had been no eyewitnesses.

He added that it would be a grave challenge to maintenance of law order if those who attacked a bishop's house escaped the arms of law. Concerns about threats to missionary and ministerial work were unfounded.

He recalled that the police had arrested those who attacked nuns at Olavanna and the thief who broke into the church at Pattoor in Thiruvananthapuram.

Asked whether the Government would order a reinvestigation of the Rajan case (torture and disappearance of engineering student Rajan while in police custody during Emergency), the Chief Minister said that the matter could not be decided in a hurry.

The case was 28 years old. He had received some memoranda seeking reinvestigation. He was awaiting the response of Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan in the matter.

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