The Kerala government ordered a judicial probe into the death of 49-year-old Rajkumar, a remand prisoner at Nedumkandam in Idukki, who died allegedly after being brutally tortured while in police custody.
“The cabinet meeting on Friday decided to go ahead with a judicial probe and retired judge Justice K Narayana Kurup has been entrusted with the investigation,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a press meet.
The Opposition on Thursday had walked out of the Assembly blaming the government for its failure to put an end to custodial deaths.
“The culprits in such cases won’t be spared. The judicial probe won’t hamper the police investigation into the death. Police can take action while judicial probe can submit recommendations,” the CM said.
When asked about reports of action against Idukki Superintendent of Police KB Venugopal, who has been under fire as it is alleged that the custodial torture happened with his knowledge and direction, the CM said that many complaints have been raised against him and the government will look into it.
The CM on Thursday had told the Assembly that 13 custodial deaths had happened during the tenure of the previous UDF government. During the press meet when asked why such incidents keep repeating after three years of the Left government’s rule, he said that it implies that such people are still there in the force.
“Yes such incidents put the home department in a bad light, but the problem is when the department doesn’t take action against those who are guilty. The government has removed the police personnel, who have criminal track record, from service. Rajkumar’s mother has registered satisfaction in the police probe into the death when she met me, though in her complaint she demanded a CBI probe,” Pinarayi said.
Palarivattom flyover
On the findings of the study conducted on the cracks found on the Palarivattom flyover in Kochi, the CM said that the structure would last only for 20 years whereas it should have lasted for 100 years. “This is something the state had never witnessed before,” Pinarayi said.
A team of experts led by Delhi Metro Corporation principal advisor E Sreedharan had examined the irregularities in the construction of the flyover, which was built during the tenure of the previous UDF government.
On the missing German national Liza, the CM said that the probe is ongoing and that the state police have contacted Interpol for help.