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The Kannur Town Police registered a case against CPI(M)’s Kerala State Committee member MV Jayarajan on charges that made bail difficult for his call to Leftist students to manhandle controversial Assistant Commissioner of Police K Radhakrishna Pillai who had opened fire on agitating students at Kozhikode on October 10.
At the same time, the Congress-led UDF Government of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy decided to take no action against Pillai for firing on students other than taking him off the charge of Law and Order on the basis of a report filed by Additional Chief Secretary K Jayakumar.
“Why is it that the Government’s eagerness to proceed against me in the name of a public speech in such speed is not seen in taking action against the ACP who had illegally opened fire on students?” asked Jayarajan. He had said in Kannur the other day that the Leftist students should feel no fear to manhandle Pillai whenever he was out of his police uniform.
The police on Wednesday night registered the case against Jayarajan, who was presently undergoing trial in a contempt of court case for ridiculing a High Court judge personally in the name of an allegedly anti-people verdict, after he exhorted the activists of pro-CPI(M) students’ outfit SFI in Kannur to bash up ACP Pillai when he was not wearing police uniform.
The charges slapped on Jayarajan, one of the strongest advocates of the neo-liberalist Kannur lobby in the Kerala CPI(M), are as per Sections 116 and 117 of the Indian Penal Code for incitement to crime and under Section 117 (E) of the Police Act for obstructing discharge of police duty.
According to legal experts, Jayarajan could be sentenced to up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine if the charges against him were proved. Also, anyone accused under these charges could get bail only from the court if arrested. However, the police are yet to decide whether they should arrest Jayarajan over this issue or submit chargesheet in the court first.
In Thiruvananthapuram, State CPI(M) secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said the Chandy Government was letting the police act like extremists towards people and book them for mere speeches while Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan, arch enemy of the neo-liberalist Marxists, said that Jayarajan’s statement was improper.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Chandy told the Assembly on Thursday that the Government had reached a decision that ACP Radhakrishna Pillai need not be suspended in the name of firing on students but he would be taken off Law and Order charge on the basis of the report submitted the other day Additional Chief Secretary Jayakumar.
But the Opposition LDF protested the decision and said the minimum punishment Pillai deserved was a suspension from service. Deputy Opposition leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan demanded tabling of Jayakumar’s report under Rule 197 but Congress’s Power Minister Aryadan Muhammad said this was not necessary as per Rule 195.
Jayakumar had reported to the Government that there was no situation that warranted police firing in front of the Government Engineering College in Kozhikode where SFI activists had been agitating on October 10. However, he had not recommended any action against Pillai. An earlier report from DGP Jacob Punnoose had justified the firing.
Talking to newsmen outside the Assembly Hall, Opposition leader Achuthanandan reiterated his demand for suspension of Pillai and a judicial probe into the police firing. “Even Jayakumar’s report shows that the ACP deserves suspension. But the Chief Minister has adopted a policy of protecting erring officials,” he said.
At the same time, the Congress-led UDF Government of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy decided to take no action against Pillai for firing on students other than taking him off the charge of Law and Order on the basis of a report filed by Additional Chief Secretary K Jayakumar.
“Why is it that the Government’s eagerness to proceed against me in the name of a public speech in such speed is not seen in taking action against the ACP who had illegally opened fire on students?” asked Jayarajan. He had said in Kannur the other day that the Leftist students should feel no fear to manhandle Pillai whenever he was out of his police uniform.
The police on Wednesday night registered the case against Jayarajan, who was presently undergoing trial in a contempt of court case for ridiculing a High Court judge personally in the name of an allegedly anti-people verdict, after he exhorted the activists of pro-CPI(M) students’ outfit SFI in Kannur to bash up ACP Pillai when he was not wearing police uniform.
The charges slapped on Jayarajan, one of the strongest advocates of the neo-liberalist Kannur lobby in the Kerala CPI(M), are as per Sections 116 and 117 of the Indian Penal Code for incitement to crime and under Section 117 (E) of the Police Act for obstructing discharge of police duty.
According to legal experts, Jayarajan could be sentenced to up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine if the charges against him were proved. Also, anyone accused under these charges could get bail only from the court if arrested. However, the police are yet to decide whether they should arrest Jayarajan over this issue or submit chargesheet in the court first.
In Thiruvananthapuram, State CPI(M) secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said the Chandy Government was letting the police act like extremists towards people and book them for mere speeches while Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan, arch enemy of the neo-liberalist Marxists, said that Jayarajan’s statement was improper.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Chandy told the Assembly on Thursday that the Government had reached a decision that ACP Radhakrishna Pillai need not be suspended in the name of firing on students but he would be taken off Law and Order charge on the basis of the report submitted the other day Additional Chief Secretary Jayakumar.
But the Opposition LDF protested the decision and said the minimum punishment Pillai deserved was a suspension from service. Deputy Opposition leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan demanded tabling of Jayakumar’s report under Rule 197 but Congress’s Power Minister Aryadan Muhammad said this was not necessary as per Rule 195.
Jayakumar had reported to the Government that there was no situation that warranted police firing in front of the Government Engineering College in Kozhikode where SFI activists had been agitating on October 10. However, he had not recommended any action against Pillai. An earlier report from DGP Jacob Punnoose had justified the firing.
Talking to newsmen outside the Assembly Hall, Opposition leader Achuthanandan reiterated his demand for suspension of Pillai and a judicial probe into the police firing. “Even Jayakumar’s report shows that the ACP deserves suspension. But the Chief Minister has adopted a policy of protecting erring officials,” he said.
