The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : `Order probe into lock-up deaths'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 29, 2006

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

`Order probe into lock-up deaths'

Special Correspondent

Oommen Chandy says Government's inaction has sent a wrong message to police

Thiruvananthapuram: Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy has demanded a comprehensive probe into the seven lock-up and other related deaths involving the police during the two months when the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has been in power in the State.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Mr. Chandy said he had urged the Chief Minister and the Home Minister in letters written to them in June to take strong action against those involved in lock-up and other related deaths involving the police.

But they did not take action, though they had been vocal in condemning such incidents. The Government's inaction appeared to be a message to the policemen to carry on the way they liked, he said.

Listing out the seven cases, Mr. Chandy said five of the lock-up deaths took place within a short span and after the failure of the Government to take strong action against the erring policemen in the Kozhikode and Aakulam cases.

He wanted the Government to give compensation to the next of kin of the seven persons as his Government had done in the Udayakumar lock-up death case.

He criticised the Government for allowing the goonda ordinance to lapse and its move to do away with the headload workers Act which had been passed to infuse confidence among investors.

Mr. Chandy protested against the Government attitude towards Excise officials who had performed their jobs sincerely without giving in to political influence.

The inquiry into the attack on the Excise Circle Inspector Jayakumar, who was still in hospital in a grave condition, had come to a standstill. But no action had been taken against the accused.

In the case of parole, the LDF Government had violated all rules, laws and court verdicts, besides being partisan in allowing parole to prisoners.

He said the Cooperation Minister and the Chief Minister's latest stand on the suicide of farmers in Wayanad was unfortunate.

The two had attributed the suicides to false prestige and inferiority complex on the part of the farmers rather than a debt trap. Those who had organised agitations against the United Democratic Front Government (UDF) demanding waver of farm loans were now taking cover under the specious argument that the State was going through a financial crisis.

He said the Congress and the UDF would participate in the August 4 hartal called by various organisations in Wayanad.

On the Smart City project, Mr. Chandy said the High Court had upheld the decisions of his Government relating to the terms and conditions for handing over land. " It is nice to learn that the Chief Minister who had termed the project a real estate business has accepted the reality and has agreed to talks with the promoters.

Asked for his party's opinion on the LDF Government's stand that minority education institutions were exploiting the majority community and the plea for minority status was only a ploy to commercialise the sector, Mr. Chandy said the UDF was against differentiation of education institutions as minority-run and majority-run.

The UDF, when in power, had ensured that favourable conditions prevailed in the State for both the minority and majority communities to run professional colleges in the self-financing sector in a professional manner. The LDF's approach was negative as it tried to make a differentiation, he said.

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

Kerala