THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition walked out of the legislative assembly after Speaker rejected the demand to discuss the custodial death of Rajkumar of Nedumkandam.
Congress legislator PT Thomas, who moved the adjournment motion, said Rajkumar was brutally murdered in custody by the police. Rajkumar, who was accused of duping several investors, was taken into custody at 3.30 pm on June 12 from Puliyanmala. But he was produced before the magistrate only on June 17. Thomas asked as to who gave the police the right to keep a person in custody for five days without producing him before the magistrate.
Thomas said the police took Rajkumar to a secret place and tortured him to get details of the money he had collected from thousands of gullible investors. Rajkumar was subjected to the most inhuman torture and his body bore marks of torture. Rajkumar’s thighs and foot had marks of torture. The erring police officers should be brought before the law, he said.
Thomas said a senior police officer involved in the custodial torture and death of Sreejith of Varapuzha was given promotion. Such acts have emboldened police officers to do anything. In D B Basu vs Government of West Bengal case, the Supreme Court has given 13 directives while taking a person into custody and called upon the CM to take stringent action against erring police officers.
He said convicts in TP Chandrasekharan murder case- Kodi Suni and Mohammed Shafi- are running a parallel system in central jails and controlling gold smuggling rackets in the state.
Export policy mooted to help farmers
T’Puram: Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar said the government was giving shape to an export policy for promoting the export of agri products and value-added products from it. According to the minister, the Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK) has been appointed the nodal agency for the said task. The minister also said the department would restart the procurement of raw coconuts from July first week. He was answering queries at the Assembly on Wednesday. “It is a fact the farming community is facing a crisis. One reason is that the farmers limit themselves to agri production,” he said.
‘Strict action against erring police officers’
T’Puram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the government will take stringent action against erring police officers if any one of them is found to be involved in the death of Nedunkandam native Rajkumar who was arrested on fraud charges. He was responding to an adjournment motion moved by Congress MLA P T Thomas.
Amendment in compassionate appointment order
T’Puram: The Cabinet meeting on Wednesday decided to amend the government order on compassionate appointments in Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco). This is to facilitate the appointment of the kin of Abkari workers who die while in service. The appointment as per the educational qualification of the candidate will be to Class-III and Class-IV posts. A state apprenticeship monitoring cell will be formed under the Industrial Training Department. Four posts will be created for this. The Sports and Youth Welfare Department will be given 29.55 cents to build Kayika Bhavan. The Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project, a joint initiative of the Union Ministry of Climate Change and the World Bank, will be implemented in the state. Kalaiarasan, environmental engineer of the State Climate Change Department, will be appointed as additional project director. Appointments to the vacant posts of doctors in the Regional Cancer Centre will be made through PSC.