VARAPUZHA: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has warned his counterpart in Kerala that if CPM keeps playing divisive politics, his party in Kerala will face the same fate as in Tripura. He was talking to the media after visiting the relatives of Sreejith, who died due to alleged custodial torture, in Varapuzha on Thursday. Deb announced that the Tripura government would award an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh to Sreejith’s family.Coming down heavily on Chief Minister, Deb said it was deplorable that Pinarayi Vijayan has not yet visited Sreejith’s house.
State BJP general secretary A N Radhakrishnan accompanied Deb.
Sreejith died in a hospital due to injuries allegedly suffered in custodial torture after he was arrested by Varapuzha police.The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has already filed a suo motu case on the issue. The Kerala government has offered a solatium of Rs 10 lakh and a government job to Sreejith’s wife.
“The incident is brutal as the police were given direction to pick up an innocent guy and torture him. Actions like this has resulted in the highest number of the political murders in Kerala,” said Deb. He added that Kerala, especially Kochi, would have become a business hub if not for the backward policies of the state government. The Tripura chief minister arrived in the state on Thursday to campaign for the Chengannur bye-election, which is scheduled for May 28.