THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala has demanded a re-probe into the Thalassery Mohammed Fazal murder case in view of the allegations raised against CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. "Former DySP K. Radhakrishnan's allegation that Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the then home minister, had asked him to stop the investigation is serious," he told reporters here on Saturday.
Mr Chennithala maintained that the retired DySp's charges should not be taken lightly. A re-probe would catch the CPM on the wrong foot, he said. "Kodiyeri wanted to stop the investigation to save the CPM's face. Hence, there should be a re-probe," said Mr Chennithala. He also sought a CBI probe into the Varapuzha custodial death case and said a murder case should be charged against the suspended former rural SP A. V. George.
"The CPM leadership is apprehensive of trouble if the CBI takes up the investigation," he said and flayed the functioning of the police department under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. "Police stations are now under the control of police associations. Ever since circle inspectors were assigned as station house officers, their junior counterparts, sub-inspectors, have become inactive," he said.
