By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Cabinet yesterday decided to appoint a retired district judge to probe into the Kasargode police firing of November 15, 2009, which killed one person. The time period for the probe is six months. The Cabinet decided to appoint a district judge as no High Court judge was available.
The police firing took place near the venue of a public programme organized by the Muslim League to honour Panakkad Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal, its newly-elected president after the demise of Panakkad Syed Muhammedali Shihab Thangal. The police indiscriminately fired at the crowd when a problem occured, according to reports. Muslim League member Muhammed Shafeeq (23) was killed, reportedly by SP Ramdas Pothen. Several others were also injured.
The government had earlier set up a judicial commission under MK Premalatha, former district judge of Kasargode, to probe into the firing incident. The judge later withdrew from the probe in August 2010 as she was not provided the basic facilities for the work and the terms of reference.
In September 2010, Kerala High Court ordered a CBI probe into the firing incident. The HC order came in a petition filed by the father of the demised Muhammed Shafeeq. The HC also ordered the government to award Rs 5 lakhs to the family of Shafeeq within three months. The petitioner had argued that SP Ramdas Pothen had seized the gun from the fireman and fired at Shafeeq. He had then reportedly complained with the SI of the police station asking to register a murder case against Mr Pothen, but there was no action on it. He then filed a petition at the JFCM Court in Kasargode which ordered to book Mr Pothen with murder charge. However, the case was not reportedly followed up.