Thiruvananthapuram: The Opposition raised the issue of custodial deaths in the state for the third time this session in the Assembly on Thursday. After a reply by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan rejected an adjournment notice given by Shafi Parambil (Congress) leading to a walkout.
The Opposition accused Electricity Minister M.M. Mani of influencing the probe into the custodial death of Rajkumar at Nedumkandom police station last month.
Mr Parambil alleged that the police had the protection of a minister from Idukki, obviously referring to Mr Mani. "The minister had held a long discussion with one of the officers in the special investigation team during a wedding held in Idukki recently," he alleged.
While Mr Pinarayi Vijayan referred to the 13 custodial deaths during UDF rule, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala pointed out that while he was home minister in 2015, he had ordered a judicial probe into a case of custodial death.
He challenged the chief minister to order a judicial inquiry into the present case, but Mr Vijayan refused to respond.
Mr Chennithala accused the government of shielding Idukki SP K. B. Venugopal. It was wrong to say that the SP was unaware of Rajkumar's custody as he was informed of the incident by the special branch, Mr Chennithala said.
"The SP is now threatening the special branch officers," he said and demanded that the SP should step down at least till the probe is over.
Mr Parambil added that royal treatment was given to the killers of the political enemies of CPM like T. P. Chandrasekharan while policemen charged with custodial murders were rewarded with promotion.
He also referred to the report about Hakkim, an auto driver at Nedumknadom, who was also allegedly beaten up by the police on the day Rajkumar was brutalised. Mr Parambil said that Hakkim and Rajkumar were in the police station at the same time. However, the chief minister denied it.
When the Opposition raised the issue of Hakkim, ruling party members said that the Opposition was defending a wife-beater. The Opposition retorted saying that it was not an excuse for the police to nearly kill a person.
Mr Parambil said Hakkim was brutally assaulted as a result of which the iron railings of the cell were damaged. The police asked Hakkim's mother to pay Rs 4,000 to repair the railings. She brought a blacksmith and got the job done for Rs 700, Mr Parambil said.
