By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Kochi: The state government of Kerala decided to hold a judicial probe into the violence and police firing incidents in Kasargod that killed two persons on Sunday. The judge and terms of reference would be decided later. The decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting held yesterday and announced by Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan in the press conference.
Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan reportedly explained the Kasargod incident and the situations prevailing there in the Cabinet meeting as he had visited the place last day. Other ministers reportedly agreed to his suggestion that a judicial probe be made so as not to give the opposition another chance to attack the government. The opposition UDF had demanded a judicial probe into the Kasargod incidents.
Chief Minister said that several complaints have been received regarding the incidents in Kasargod. There have been allegations that the police had destroyed some vehicles. Everything would come under the investigation, he added.
UDF convenor PP Thankachan demanded that the terms of reference of the judicial probe should be decided after discussing with the UDF. He demanded that the Superintendent of Police who killed an innocent youth should be charged with murder. The SP’s argument that he had fired for his own safety could not be taken into consideration. The SP fired taking the gun from the gunman. A high-power committee of the UDF would visit Kasargod on Monday. The UDF meeting saw the failures of the government as the reason for the clashes in Kasargod. Enough police force was not allowed for the Muslim League public meeting. The UDF holds the demand that the firing incident should be investigated by a sitting judge, he added.
Meanwhile, NP Balakrishnan, the Crime Branch SP in charge of the investigation into the Kasargod incidents, informed that the police had not got any clear evidence about those responsible for Sunday’s violence. The police had got some signs about the criminals. Those who accuse outside intervention may tell the police who they were. Then only the police could take action against them, he said reportedly.
Ramdas Pothan, the SP of Kasargod who reportedly fired at a youth during the violence, said that had he not fired then, Kasargod would have gone ablaze. He said he had done his job well, though he was sad that a youth was killed.
Two young men were killed in the police firing and violence that followed a public meeting of the Muslim League in the city of Kasargod in north Kerala on Sunday. One of the men was killed in police firing and the other was stabbed to death by unknown persons. The public meeting was organised by the Muslim League to honour its state leaders like President Hyderali Shihab Thangal, state general secretary PK KUnhalikkutty and national secretary MP Abdussamad Samadani. Argumenst between the police and some people soon grew into stone-pelting at the police. The police initially broke tear gas shells and then took to firing into the air to disperse the mob which turned violent. Then the police fired at people which killed a member of the Muslim League. Another member of the party was killed outside the city by a group of people who stabbed him to death in the road.