KOCHI: Even as extortion by police personnel continues unabated in the city, a report filed by a senior police officer recommending punitive action against two policemen of the Kalamassery police station for extorting money from a tanker lorry owner has been put on the back burner following alleged intervention from a minister's office.
Police officers said the two policemen collected Rs 10,000 from the owner of the tanker lorry, which met with an accident at Kalamassery on March 27 night, after demanding Rs 25,000 from him. "The two policemen approached the tanker lorry owner saying they worked really hard to control the situation after the tanker met with the accident.
They also intimidated him saying that they won't provide the necessary papers required to shift the tanker from the spot and demanded Rs 25,000. Finally, they settled for `10,000 as an initial payment," said a police officer.
Based on a complaint from the owner and inputs received from other police personnel, a senior officer conducted an inquiry and filed a report to the higher-ups recommending action against the two policemen. But the report has been put on hold after the Minister's office allegedly came to the rescue of the two.
It was on April 27 night that the bullet tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) overturned on Seaport-Airport Road near Vallathol Junction.
Sreejith case: Madhu’s mother to join march
Kochi: Malli, the mother of tribal youth Madhu who was lynched by a mob in Attappadi two months ago, will hand over the flag for the Jeevan Raksha March announced by the BJP demanding a CBI probe into the alleged custodial death of Sreejith of Varappuzha.
The march led by BJP state general secretary A N Radhakrishnan will commence from the house of Madhu at 9 am on Monday and culminate at Varappuzha at 5 pm on Tuesday. BJP national secretary H Raja will inaugurate the public meeting after the culmination of the march, said state secretary B Gopalakrishnan. “The march will expose the CPM’s political strategy of violence. We will highlight the custodial death of Sreejith and the involvement of the CPM in the incident at the national level.
If CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s concern about Sreejith’s death is genuine, he should ask the government to support the petition filed by Sreejith’s mother in the High Court demanding a CBI inquiry. The role of CPM leaders in the incident should also be probed.
The phone call details of SP A V George should be made public,” he said. The march will start from Madhu’s house and the first day’s campaign will culminate in Thrissur at 7 pm. The march will reach Paravur at
3 pm on Tuesday, where Sreejith’s mother and wife will join.