Thiruvananthapuram: Even as a probe has been ordered into the police action on the mother of engineering student Jishnu Pranoy and his relatives, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and state police chief Loknath Behera blamed the presence of external elements for the chaos.
Thiruvananthapuram range IG Manoj Abraham is conducting a probe into the incident, assisted by Thiruvananthapuram city deputy commissioner of police Arul R.B. Krishna.
The chief minister told the media that the police had to act as BJP and SUCI workers and one controversial godman had accompanied them and they tried to break the police cordon. He also justified the police action on Jishnu’s mother Mahija stating that since she lay on the road, police had to remove her using force.
“We know the feeling of Jishnu’s mother and the state police chief was even willing to meet her and other relatives,” he said. Mr. Vijayan also said that he was not meeting Mahija or others.
Mr Behera who called on Mahija and her brother at Peroorkada government hospital said that there were intelligence input that some other element were also along with Jishnu’s parents and relatives and hence the police had to act. He, however, said that the incident should not have happened.
“Jishnu’s uncle even told me that they were only five or six persons. But there were around 20 altogether who marched to the police headquarters,” said Mr. Behera.
He also invited Jishnu’s parents and relatives for talks. The police were carrying out a proper investigation into Jishnu’s death. Apart from the team headed by Kiran Narayanan, a special team headed by SP Akbar was formed to locate the accused. Steps were also being taken to declare the absconding accused as proclaimed offenders and attach their property, he said.
Meanwhile, of the 18 held in connection with the incident, police registered a case against five persons and the others were released. SUCI leaders Shajahan, Mini and Sreekumar, V.S. Achuthanandan’s former aide K.M. Shajahan and Himaval Bhadrananatha alias ‘Thokku Swami’ were arrested. They were produced before court and remanded.
