The Hindu : Front Page : State to take note of High Court remark

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 22, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

State to take note of High Court remark

Staff Reporter

Kodiyeri Balakrishnan says the Government will act on the basis of the High Court’s ruling.

KANNUR: Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said the Government will consider seriously the High Court’s strictures against the police in a case relating to seizure of hawala money.

The Minister told reporters here on Saturday that the High Court judge’s observation on the police would be taken seriously by the Government. He said the Government would act on the basis of the High Court’s ruling in the case.

The High Court had taken exception to the police failure to investigate the case properly. The court had directed the Director-General of Prosecutions to file a report on the issue before August 20.

Hassan’s charge

Special Correspondent adds from Thiruvananthapuram:

Congress leader M.M. Hassan said here that the Home Minister had lost the moral right to continue in office in view of the court observations about the police and their links with criminals.

Addressing a press conference, the Congress leader said law and order had broken down in the State. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) was protecting criminal mafias in the State. The disclosures that had come in the media in the past few days were ample evidence to the nexus between politicians and criminals.

He said the disclosures by those associated with the Himalaya chit fund company had shown that the allegations against Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala and filing of a Vigilance case against him were politically motivated.

Referring to the contention that the statements in favour of Mr. Chennithala and against several CPI(M) leaders were made by the accused in a murder case, Mr. Hassan said the accusations against Mr. Chennithala were also made by a person who had a criminal record according to a statement made by the police before the High Court.

He said the fact that several CPI(M) leaders including the then Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan had attended the funeral of a henchman of the chit fund company showed the extent of their links.

The KPCC executive would meet on July 27 to chalk out its future course of action in view of the breakdown of law and order in the State.

BJP demand

BJP State president P.K. Krishnadas said in a statement that the Home Minister should be resigning if he had any honour. The observations of the courts were not unexpected because of the links of the CPI(M) with money lenders, sandalwood smugglers, plunders of the forests and liquor and other mafia. The police had been politicised.

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

Front Page