The Opposition Congress on Thursday alleged that a gangster who killed a 19-year-old youth and dumped his body in front of a police station in the district recently was an activist of the Communist Party of India [CPI(M)] and there was political interference to protect him.The CPI(M) was protecting goons, and criminals were unleashing violence in the State. But Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was trivialising such incidents as isolated ones, said Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan.He was speaking to reporters after visiting the family of Shan Babu, who was tortured and murdered by Jomon K. Jose, a history-sheeter, and others on Sunday night.He further accused the ruling party of ‘misusing’ its political clout for diluting charges slapped on goons under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA).
Protecting criminals
“It is the CPI(M) that is protecting the goons. The problem is not with the law, but its enforcement. The criminal who killed the 19-year-old youth is a CPI(M) activist. There has been political interference to protect him,” Mr. Satheesan alleged.Pointing out that goons can be imprisoned only under Section 3 of the KAAPA Act, he said only after further examination of the police report could the appeal committee drop the charges levelled against a goonda. Was such a police report considered while dropping the charges levelled against the goon who had killed Shan? he asked.He also sought to know whether the appeal committee had considered his application without the police report.
Police failure
“How did this man who was exiled from the district under the KAAPA return? Even if the KAAPA charges were suspended, the police should have kept an eye on him. The police have become a mute spectator,” he said.According to the police, Shan was allegedly tortured and killed by Jomon and his fellow gangsters. Jomon’s arrest was registered in the case. Four of Jomon’s fellow gangsters were taken into custody by the police on Tuesday.
