Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
18 Apr 2011
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Kerala has failed to properly utilise the skills of the scores of people who have returned from abroad, especially the Gulf countries, says a study conducted by the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), here .
The study also highlights the need for initiating predeparture counselling for emigrants as well as measures to minimise the cost of emigration.
Titled 'From Kerala to Kerala via the Gulf Emigration experiences of the return emigrants', the study has been carried out by CDS honorary fellow K C Zachariah and prof S Irudaya Rajan, based on the experience of the returned emigrants.
"The return emigrant's contribution to the development of the state has fallen below expectations, considering the resources at their disposal. With the financial resources at their disposal, the skills and disciplined work culture they had acquired, and the contacts they had established, it is expected that emigrants could make a more significant contribution to the state's development. However, they have not risen to the challenge or risen to the occasion and this is mainly due to the absence of toplevel entrepreneurial skills among the return emigrants," the study says suggesting that the government should make good use of the returnees for the development of the state.
Either the government or business leaders could take the leadership and give directions to the returnees or the entrepreneurs. They should be persuaded with adequate incentives to establish development projects within the state by utilising the resources brought in by them and other returned emigrants, the CDS study suggests.
The total number of returnees in the state is estimated to be around 13 lakh and it is projected to reach 15.8 lakh by 2015.
According to the Kerala Migration Study of 2008, the number of returnees was 11.5 lakh, compared to 7.4 lakh in 1998. Another recent study by CDS had pointed out that recessionrelated return emigration of Keralites was not as extensive as was often reported to be. Although about 1.7 lakh persons returned during the recession period, those returned owing to recessionrelated reasons were around 60,000 only.
The CDS study moots the need to introduce a comprehensive preemigration counselling and skills upgradation programme so that the emigrants do not face socioeconomic problems abroad. The counselling should include familiarising the prospective emigrants with living and working conditions abroad, acquainting them with the problems that they are likely to face abroad and the ways and means of dealing with such issues.
"Return emigrants of the state today would have been a much happier lot, had they been given proper counselling about life after emigration. Counselling on financial management with a longterm perspective could have been very useful for them when they face the prospect of their long life as a return emigrant without a regular monthly income.
Prevention is better than cure. Problem preventing measures aimed at future emigrants would work better than problem solving measures aimed at return emigrants," says the CDS study, which was financed by the NonResident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) Department and supported by the Overseas Indian Affairs Department.
The increased cost of emigration from Kerala is pointed out as one reason for the economic instability of the emigrants. The average cost of emigration from Kerala is estimated around Rs 57,000 where as the average income of an emigrant is around Rs 10,000. Most of the emigrants raise the emigration cost by way of loans and hence it would take months for the emigrant to meet the emigration expense.
"The government should intervene wherever possible to check the increase in the cost of emigration and take measures to prevent recruiting agents and other intermediaries from exploiting the poorly educated and financially deprived prospective emigrants of Kerala," the study says.
Sunday 17 April 2011
CrPC amendments clip cops of their freedom to arrest
Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
17 Apr 2011
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Arresting a person involved in offences such as cheating, molestation and robbery would not be an easy task for the police officers in the state hereafter as the Police Department has decided to implement the recent amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The fresh amendments restrict the police from arresting a person either on the basis of a complaint or suspicion regarding his involvement in a cognizable offence that warrants punishment up to seven years, without a warrant.
Police sources said that around 90 percent of the cases registered in the state are offences that warrant less than seven years of punishment.
Only crimes such as rape, attempt to murder and murder warrants punishment beyond seven years. However, certain exceptions are provided in the amended law. If a person commits an offence either in the presence of a police officer or if a police officer feels that there is a genuine reason for the arrest, then a warrant is not necessary to arrest the person.
It has been made mandatory that the details of all persons arrested at all police stations in a district be published at the district police control rooms (PCRs) of the respective districts on a daily basis.
DGP Jacob Punnoose has directed all police officers to abide by the amendments that came into effect in November 2010.
“We are in the process of implementing the fresh amendments. As a first step, all the police officials are being made aware of the amendments,” the DGP told Express. The fresh amendments also make it mandatory that a police officer should record the reasons either for arresting a person or not for arresting a person after having received a complaint or information or a reasonable suspicion regarding the person’s involvement in a cognizable offence that warrants punishment of up to seven years.
A notice board should be kept outside the district police control rooms with the details of the persons arrested in the police stations with in the district on that day as well as the previous day.
The name of the police officer who arrested the person should also be mentioned on the board. The station house officers (SHOs) should furnish the details about the arrested persons to the district police control room as well as the District Crime Records Bureau (DCRB), says the amended laws.
The State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) will have to maintain the details of all persons arrested in all the police stations in the state. The DCRBs will have to forward the details of the arrests in each district to the SCRB on a weekly basis.
With the amendments to the CrPC, it has also become mandatory that an arrested person should be informed of his right to give the name of a friend or relative who should be informed of his arrest. Also, an arrested person should be permitted to meet a lawyer during the interrogation, according to the amendment.
The New Indian Express
17 Apr 2011
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Arresting a person involved in offences such as cheating, molestation and robbery would not be an easy task for the police officers in the state hereafter as the Police Department has decided to implement the recent amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The fresh amendments restrict the police from arresting a person either on the basis of a complaint or suspicion regarding his involvement in a cognizable offence that warrants punishment up to seven years, without a warrant.
Police sources said that around 90 percent of the cases registered in the state are offences that warrant less than seven years of punishment.
Only crimes such as rape, attempt to murder and murder warrants punishment beyond seven years. However, certain exceptions are provided in the amended law. If a person commits an offence either in the presence of a police officer or if a police officer feels that there is a genuine reason for the arrest, then a warrant is not necessary to arrest the person.
It has been made mandatory that the details of all persons arrested at all police stations in a district be published at the district police control rooms (PCRs) of the respective districts on a daily basis.
DGP Jacob Punnoose has directed all police officers to abide by the amendments that came into effect in November 2010.
“We are in the process of implementing the fresh amendments. As a first step, all the police officials are being made aware of the amendments,” the DGP told Express. The fresh amendments also make it mandatory that a police officer should record the reasons either for arresting a person or not for arresting a person after having received a complaint or information or a reasonable suspicion regarding the person’s involvement in a cognizable offence that warrants punishment of up to seven years.
A notice board should be kept outside the district police control rooms with the details of the persons arrested in the police stations with in the district on that day as well as the previous day.
The name of the police officer who arrested the person should also be mentioned on the board. The station house officers (SHOs) should furnish the details about the arrested persons to the district police control room as well as the District Crime Records Bureau (DCRB), says the amended laws.
The State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) will have to maintain the details of all persons arrested in all the police stations in the state. The DCRBs will have to forward the details of the arrests in each district to the SCRB on a weekly basis.
With the amendments to the CrPC, it has also become mandatory that an arrested person should be informed of his right to give the name of a friend or relative who should be informed of his arrest. Also, an arrested person should be permitted to meet a lawyer during the interrogation, according to the amendment.
Monday 11 April 2011
Palode Ravi hopeful, Ramachandran Nair confident
Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
11 Apr 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Will Palode Ravi miss it between the cup and the lip this time ? This is the question doing the rounds in Nedumangad constituency as the Assembly elections are just two days away.
Ravi had suffered a defeat by a meagre margin to CPI’s Mangode Radhakrishnan consecutively in the last two Assembly elections at Nedumangad constituency. During 2006, Ravi was defeated by a margin of 85 votes, which was the lowest margin during that elections in the state. In 2001, Ravi lost to Radhakrishnan by 156 votes.
“This time I am sure that the debacle won’t repeat as the people of Nedumangad are eagerly awaiting a change,” says a much confident Ravi.
It was not the political situations, but other factors like the sentimental votes that had come in favour of Mangode during the previous years as he suffered a road accident just before the elections, says Ravi.
Ravi could heave a sigh of relief as it’s not the two-time victorious Radhakrishnan, but P Ramachandran Nair, who is quite new to parliamentary politics, who is his opponent this time. Hence Ravi, who hails from the nearby Palode, claims to have the advantage of being a local.
Ramachandran Nair, who is the district secretary of CPI, had tested his luck in parliamentary politics in the Lok Sabha elections in 2009. However, he suffered a defeat by a margin of about one lakh votes to Shashi Tharoor of the Congress in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency. With regard to confidence, Ramachandran Nair is not at all behind Ravi.
As he walks along the voters seeking their mandate, Ramachandran Nair lists out the achievements of the LDF Government one by one “The achievements of the LDF Government is the biggest factor in my favour. Moreover, with V S Achuthanandan leading the front, all the LDF candidates will get the advantage of the VS factor,” says Ramachandran Nair.
The thrust being given by the two-time MLA Ravi throughout his campaign is the development activities he had initiated in Nedumangad.
“I am sure the people of Nedumangad will not forget the development that I had brought in at Nedumangad during my earlier term as MLA here. Nedumangad had seen development in all fronts during my term. Now the people badly wants Nedumangad to be back on the development track and my lone agenda in development,” Ravi told Express on the sidelines of his busy campaign schedules in Nedumangad constituency.
The anti-incumbency factor will also work in my favour this time, adds Ravi.
Both the LDF and the UDF camps are claiming advantage over the delimitation of the Nedumangad constituency. According to the LDF leaders, with delimitation Panavoor, Aruvikara and Vellanad that are UDF strongholds got detached from Nedumangad Assembly constituency, where as LDF strongholds like Pothencode, Manickal and Andoorkonam have become part of the constituency.
However, the local Congress leaders claim that the wards that are newly attached to the constituency are UDF’s strongholds and hence it is advantage UDF with delimitation.
Though not strong enough to give a tight fight to the veteran politicians, BJP candidate K S Anjana is also active in the campaign front to make the presence of BJP felt in the Nedumangad area.
“The people are fed up with the UDF and LDF and hence it’s advantage BJP this time,” says Anjana who was an active leader of the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. Alike any other candidate, Anjana also expresses confidence that she will emerge victorious in the polls.
The New Indian Express
11 Apr 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Will Palode Ravi miss it between the cup and the lip this time ? This is the question doing the rounds in Nedumangad constituency as the Assembly elections are just two days away.
Ravi had suffered a defeat by a meagre margin to CPI’s Mangode Radhakrishnan consecutively in the last two Assembly elections at Nedumangad constituency. During 2006, Ravi was defeated by a margin of 85 votes, which was the lowest margin during that elections in the state. In 2001, Ravi lost to Radhakrishnan by 156 votes.
“This time I am sure that the debacle won’t repeat as the people of Nedumangad are eagerly awaiting a change,” says a much confident Ravi.
It was not the political situations, but other factors like the sentimental votes that had come in favour of Mangode during the previous years as he suffered a road accident just before the elections, says Ravi.
Ravi could heave a sigh of relief as it’s not the two-time victorious Radhakrishnan, but P Ramachandran Nair, who is quite new to parliamentary politics, who is his opponent this time. Hence Ravi, who hails from the nearby Palode, claims to have the advantage of being a local.
Ramachandran Nair, who is the district secretary of CPI, had tested his luck in parliamentary politics in the Lok Sabha elections in 2009. However, he suffered a defeat by a margin of about one lakh votes to Shashi Tharoor of the Congress in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency. With regard to confidence, Ramachandran Nair is not at all behind Ravi.
As he walks along the voters seeking their mandate, Ramachandran Nair lists out the achievements of the LDF Government one by one “The achievements of the LDF Government is the biggest factor in my favour. Moreover, with V S Achuthanandan leading the front, all the LDF candidates will get the advantage of the VS factor,” says Ramachandran Nair.
The thrust being given by the two-time MLA Ravi throughout his campaign is the development activities he had initiated in Nedumangad.
“I am sure the people of Nedumangad will not forget the development that I had brought in at Nedumangad during my earlier term as MLA here. Nedumangad had seen development in all fronts during my term. Now the people badly wants Nedumangad to be back on the development track and my lone agenda in development,” Ravi told Express on the sidelines of his busy campaign schedules in Nedumangad constituency.
The anti-incumbency factor will also work in my favour this time, adds Ravi.
Both the LDF and the UDF camps are claiming advantage over the delimitation of the Nedumangad constituency. According to the LDF leaders, with delimitation Panavoor, Aruvikara and Vellanad that are UDF strongholds got detached from Nedumangad Assembly constituency, where as LDF strongholds like Pothencode, Manickal and Andoorkonam have become part of the constituency.
However, the local Congress leaders claim that the wards that are newly attached to the constituency are UDF’s strongholds and hence it is advantage UDF with delimitation.
Though not strong enough to give a tight fight to the veteran politicians, BJP candidate K S Anjana is also active in the campaign front to make the presence of BJP felt in the Nedumangad area.
“The people are fed up with the UDF and LDF and hence it’s advantage BJP this time,” says Anjana who was an active leader of the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. Alike any other candidate, Anjana also expresses confidence that she will emerge victorious in the polls.
Friday 8 April 2011
NRK voters a new factor in political scene
Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
08 Apr 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It will be of no surprise if the candidates of all political parties in north Kerala districts come up with a slew of sops for the non-resident Keralites (NRKs) because majority of the expatriates who are expected to cast their votes as NRK voters in the coming Assembly elections hail from the northern districts.
Out of the 8,835 NRKs who have enrolled themselves in the electoral rolls, 2,628 are from Kozhikode. While Kannur stands in the second position with 1,958 NRK voters, Malappuram has 1,861 NRK voters. The lowest number of NRK voters are from Idukki district, 32. Wayanad has only 97 NRK voters. Among the 8,835 NRKs who have enrolled their names, 321 are women.
Though voting rights for NRKs had been a long-pending demand of the pravasis, the number of persons who have decided to enroll their names in the electoral rolls is very low when compared to the total number of NRKs, which is estimated to be above 20 lakh. The delay in finalising the procedure for enrolling the names as well as the grim job scenario in Gulf countries are cited as two major reasons for this.
“There was inordinate delay from the Centre in finalising the procedure for enrolling names in the voters’ list. Moreover, the NRKs in countries like Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia were quite disturbed by the turmoil in these countries, which is also one reason which affected many NRKs from enrolling their names in the electoral rolls,’’ Indo-Arab Confederation Council chairman and Pravasi Coordination Committee convener Attakoya Pallikandy said.
Moreover, it is quite impractical that the NRKs will come down to Kerala on leave just to cast their votes. Only those who will be in Kerala on annual leave during the time of elections will have the chance to exercise their franchise, says a section of Dubai-based NRKs.
Though the number of NRK voters are quite low, their family members can play a crucial role in the elections. All political parties have their feeder organisations in foreign countries, where there are considerable number of Malayalis, and the feeder organisations are engaged in verbal campaign among NRKs, Attakoya said.
The total number of NRK voters in other districts are as follows: Thiruvananthapuram - 230, Kollam - 204, Pathanamthitta - 296, Alappuzha - 166, Kottayam - 111, Ernakulam - 107, Thrissur - 385, Palakkad - 269, Wayanad - 97 and, Kasargod - 491.
The New Indian Express
08 Apr 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It will be of no surprise if the candidates of all political parties in north Kerala districts come up with a slew of sops for the non-resident Keralites (NRKs) because majority of the expatriates who are expected to cast their votes as NRK voters in the coming Assembly elections hail from the northern districts.
Out of the 8,835 NRKs who have enrolled themselves in the electoral rolls, 2,628 are from Kozhikode. While Kannur stands in the second position with 1,958 NRK voters, Malappuram has 1,861 NRK voters. The lowest number of NRK voters are from Idukki district, 32. Wayanad has only 97 NRK voters. Among the 8,835 NRKs who have enrolled their names, 321 are women.
Though voting rights for NRKs had been a long-pending demand of the pravasis, the number of persons who have decided to enroll their names in the electoral rolls is very low when compared to the total number of NRKs, which is estimated to be above 20 lakh. The delay in finalising the procedure for enrolling the names as well as the grim job scenario in Gulf countries are cited as two major reasons for this.
“There was inordinate delay from the Centre in finalising the procedure for enrolling names in the voters’ list. Moreover, the NRKs in countries like Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia were quite disturbed by the turmoil in these countries, which is also one reason which affected many NRKs from enrolling their names in the electoral rolls,’’ Indo-Arab Confederation Council chairman and Pravasi Coordination Committee convener Attakoya Pallikandy said.
Moreover, it is quite impractical that the NRKs will come down to Kerala on leave just to cast their votes. Only those who will be in Kerala on annual leave during the time of elections will have the chance to exercise their franchise, says a section of Dubai-based NRKs.
Though the number of NRK voters are quite low, their family members can play a crucial role in the elections. All political parties have their feeder organisations in foreign countries, where there are considerable number of Malayalis, and the feeder organisations are engaged in verbal campaign among NRKs, Attakoya said.
The total number of NRK voters in other districts are as follows: Thiruvananthapuram - 230, Kollam - 204, Pathanamthitta - 296, Alappuzha - 166, Kottayam - 111, Ernakulam - 107, Thrissur - 385, Palakkad - 269, Wayanad - 97 and, Kasargod - 491.
Monday 4 April 2011
Police ill-equipped as cyber crimes double
Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
04 Apr 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite a whopping increase in the number of cyber crimes in the state over the past few years, the state’s cyber police still remain illequipped to contain the menace, both in terms of manpower and infrastructure.
While the number of complaints pertaining to the cyber and mobile-related crimes in the state that were received by the police during 2010 touched a whopping 80,000, the strength of the state cyber police force remains around 80.
More pitiable is that the request placed by the cyber police for procuring advanced cyber forensic tools two years ago still remains on paper.
The Hi-Tech Crime Enquiry Cell attached to the Police Headquarters here, deals with advanced cyber and mobile crimes, alone had handled 4,440 investigations during 2010 as against 584 in 2007 - an increase by manifolds.
While the total number of petitions received by the state’s cyber police units during 2009 was around 37,000, it has almost touched 80,000 in 2010, a majority of which are mobile phone thefts.
The only Cyber Police station in the state having jurisdiction of the entire state was set up in 2009. However, the government is yet to sanction any posts for the police station.
At present the DySP of the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) is holding the additional charge of the cyber police station and 10 police officials including a circleinspector, sub-inspectors and constables are posted on working arrangement, whereas the Cyber Police station of the neighbouring Karnataka is headed by a SP and has four DySPs, eight CIs and SIs each and more than 20 constables. It is more pitiable that the request for cyber forensic tools for a set of Cyber Police Station still remains on the papers. Owing to the inordinate delay, most of those tools have now become outdated, sources said.
The state police have constituted cyber cells in all the districts, the average strength of the cyber cells in less than five. Sources also said that the police personnel being posted at the cyber police station as well as the cyber cells are not being given proper training.
“Cyber forensics is a field that is undergoing rapid progress and hence it is essential that the cyber police officials are kept updated,” said a police officer who requested anonymity. Moreover, many technically qualified police officials are not posted in the cyber cell. DGP Jacob Punnoose, however, said that compared to other states in India, the cyber police of Kerala had been more effective.
“Cyber crimes are an evolving process and hence a specialised system to counter it is yet to be structured. It is expertise that matters and not the numbers. Our aim is to make all police officials in the state capable of dealing with basic cyber crimes,” he said.
With the use of cyber and mobile phone applications keep on increasing, the number of offences in these sectors will also be in the upward trend in the coming years. Hence the government should make immediate steps to ensure a effective cyber policing in the state, say experts.
The New Indian Express
04 Apr 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite a whopping increase in the number of cyber crimes in the state over the past few years, the state’s cyber police still remain illequipped to contain the menace, both in terms of manpower and infrastructure.
While the number of complaints pertaining to the cyber and mobile-related crimes in the state that were received by the police during 2010 touched a whopping 80,000, the strength of the state cyber police force remains around 80.
More pitiable is that the request placed by the cyber police for procuring advanced cyber forensic tools two years ago still remains on paper.
The Hi-Tech Crime Enquiry Cell attached to the Police Headquarters here, deals with advanced cyber and mobile crimes, alone had handled 4,440 investigations during 2010 as against 584 in 2007 - an increase by manifolds.
While the total number of petitions received by the state’s cyber police units during 2009 was around 37,000, it has almost touched 80,000 in 2010, a majority of which are mobile phone thefts.
The only Cyber Police station in the state having jurisdiction of the entire state was set up in 2009. However, the government is yet to sanction any posts for the police station.
At present the DySP of the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) is holding the additional charge of the cyber police station and 10 police officials including a circleinspector, sub-inspectors and constables are posted on working arrangement, whereas the Cyber Police station of the neighbouring Karnataka is headed by a SP and has four DySPs, eight CIs and SIs each and more than 20 constables. It is more pitiable that the request for cyber forensic tools for a set of Cyber Police Station still remains on the papers. Owing to the inordinate delay, most of those tools have now become outdated, sources said.
The state police have constituted cyber cells in all the districts, the average strength of the cyber cells in less than five. Sources also said that the police personnel being posted at the cyber police station as well as the cyber cells are not being given proper training.
“Cyber forensics is a field that is undergoing rapid progress and hence it is essential that the cyber police officials are kept updated,” said a police officer who requested anonymity. Moreover, many technically qualified police officials are not posted in the cyber cell. DGP Jacob Punnoose, however, said that compared to other states in India, the cyber police of Kerala had been more effective.
“Cyber crimes are an evolving process and hence a specialised system to counter it is yet to be structured. It is expertise that matters and not the numbers. Our aim is to make all police officials in the state capable of dealing with basic cyber crimes,” he said.
With the use of cyber and mobile phone applications keep on increasing, the number of offences in these sectors will also be in the upward trend in the coming years. Hence the government should make immediate steps to ensure a effective cyber policing in the state, say experts.
Sunday 3 April 2011
Sampath custodial death: CBI probe raises knotty questions
Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian
03 Apr 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CBI probe into the custodial death of Sampath seems to be derailing from the popular objective of bringing the real culprits before the law and instead snowballing into an internal clash within the nation’s premier investigation agency.
The ‘timely’ leaking out of the information regarding the arraigning of two IPS officers in the case as well as the differences between the CBI top brass and investigating officers over arraigning the two IPS officers, has led to a fresh stand-off within the CBI, which may prove detrimental to a fair probe into the sensational custodial death which occurred in March 2010 at Palakkad.
CBI DySP P G Haridath had filed a report before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Kochi on February 2 naming the former Thrissur range IG Mohammed Yasin, Palakkad former SP Vijay Sakhare and 16 others as accused in the case.
However the information got leaked out only after two months, on April 1, that too a couple of hours after the Supreme Court directed that the investigation should be carried out under the strict supervision of a CBI joint director.
This has raised many an eyebrow as it is widely believed that the information was deliberately leaked out due to the stand- off between the investigation team and the CBI higher-ups.
The investigating officers in the case had earlier stated before the High Court that they were facing threat and undue pressure from the top.
Subsequently, the court had ordered that no senior official should interfere with the investigation.
After the CBI headquarters got complaints that the probe was not progressing in the right direction, a senior SP, R R Sahayi, was deputed to review the investigation.
But the investigation officer had refused to hand over the case diary.
Subsequently, the CBI headquarters approached the Supreme Court and the court on Friday directed that the probe should be closely monitored by a joint director. The move of the investigating officer to arraign two IPS officers as accused in the case, even without taking their statements, as well as to seek arrest warrants has come as a surprise.
“In case an official is arraigned as accused in a case, the normal practice is to inform the head of the department in which the accused officer is working and proceed with the arrest. A warrant is sought only if the official is evading arrest,” police sources pointed out.
A section in the state police strongly suspects the influence of a Bangalorebased spirit mafia don on the CBI to implicate Vijay Sakhare, who is now serving as DIG in Border Security Force. Two Bangalore-based spirit smugglers were booked by Sakhare while serving as the Palakkad SP. It is pointed out that though Sampath belonged to a poor family, his family has been engaging leading lawyers both in the Supreme Court and the High Court. “How the family meets the heavy fees of these leading lawyers remain mysterious,” a police officer said.
It is also pointed out that the mobile phone records of Yasin had clearly vindicated that he had not gone to Malampuzha during the time when Sampath was subjected to custodial torture. Yasin is now serving as managing director of Kerala Police Housing Construction Corporation.
Investigating officer summoned
CBI DySP Haridath was summoned to CBI headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday.
CBI sources said that it was following the Supreme Court directive on Friday that the investigating officer was directed to report to the CBI headquarters with the case diary.
There are also unconfirmed reports that IPS officers Yasin and Sakhare are planning to approach the court against the CBI’s decision to arraign them as accused in the case.
The New Indian
03 Apr 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CBI probe into the custodial death of Sampath seems to be derailing from the popular objective of bringing the real culprits before the law and instead snowballing into an internal clash within the nation’s premier investigation agency.
The ‘timely’ leaking out of the information regarding the arraigning of two IPS officers in the case as well as the differences between the CBI top brass and investigating officers over arraigning the two IPS officers, has led to a fresh stand-off within the CBI, which may prove detrimental to a fair probe into the sensational custodial death which occurred in March 2010 at Palakkad.
CBI DySP P G Haridath had filed a report before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Kochi on February 2 naming the former Thrissur range IG Mohammed Yasin, Palakkad former SP Vijay Sakhare and 16 others as accused in the case.
However the information got leaked out only after two months, on April 1, that too a couple of hours after the Supreme Court directed that the investigation should be carried out under the strict supervision of a CBI joint director.
This has raised many an eyebrow as it is widely believed that the information was deliberately leaked out due to the stand- off between the investigation team and the CBI higher-ups.
The investigating officers in the case had earlier stated before the High Court that they were facing threat and undue pressure from the top.
Subsequently, the court had ordered that no senior official should interfere with the investigation.
After the CBI headquarters got complaints that the probe was not progressing in the right direction, a senior SP, R R Sahayi, was deputed to review the investigation.
But the investigation officer had refused to hand over the case diary.
Subsequently, the CBI headquarters approached the Supreme Court and the court on Friday directed that the probe should be closely monitored by a joint director. The move of the investigating officer to arraign two IPS officers as accused in the case, even without taking their statements, as well as to seek arrest warrants has come as a surprise.
“In case an official is arraigned as accused in a case, the normal practice is to inform the head of the department in which the accused officer is working and proceed with the arrest. A warrant is sought only if the official is evading arrest,” police sources pointed out.
A section in the state police strongly suspects the influence of a Bangalorebased spirit mafia don on the CBI to implicate Vijay Sakhare, who is now serving as DIG in Border Security Force. Two Bangalore-based spirit smugglers were booked by Sakhare while serving as the Palakkad SP. It is pointed out that though Sampath belonged to a poor family, his family has been engaging leading lawyers both in the Supreme Court and the High Court. “How the family meets the heavy fees of these leading lawyers remain mysterious,” a police officer said.
It is also pointed out that the mobile phone records of Yasin had clearly vindicated that he had not gone to Malampuzha during the time when Sampath was subjected to custodial torture. Yasin is now serving as managing director of Kerala Police Housing Construction Corporation.
Investigating officer summoned
CBI DySP Haridath was summoned to CBI headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday.
CBI sources said that it was following the Supreme Court directive on Friday that the investigating officer was directed to report to the CBI headquarters with the case diary.
There are also unconfirmed reports that IPS officers Yasin and Sakhare are planning to approach the court against the CBI’s decision to arraign them as accused in the case.
Prison ‘vacancies’ filling up
Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
03 Apr 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The prisons in the state are witnessing a steep increase in the number of inmates these days, thanks to the election season hotting up.
More persons are being arrested and remanded in prisons in petty cases.
The total number of prisoners has gone up from 6,100 about two weeks ago to around 6,400 now.
“We had witnessed a similar increase in the number of prisoners during the recent local bodies elections also,” says Additional DGP (Prisons) Alexander Jacob. The prison population had gone up to around 6,800 during the local bodies elections. However, these figures will come down soon as those held in these cases will normally get bail after a 14-day judicial remand period, he says.
Police sources say that during election time, there will be a number of complaints pertaining to election campaign and the police will be forced to take immediate action owing to political pressure. Moreover, no political leader will interfere with the arrest to avoid any controversy.
The arrested will also lose a chance to cast their votes.
The New Indian Express
03 Apr 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The prisons in the state are witnessing a steep increase in the number of inmates these days, thanks to the election season hotting up.
More persons are being arrested and remanded in prisons in petty cases.
The total number of prisoners has gone up from 6,100 about two weeks ago to around 6,400 now.
“We had witnessed a similar increase in the number of prisoners during the recent local bodies elections also,” says Additional DGP (Prisons) Alexander Jacob. The prison population had gone up to around 6,800 during the local bodies elections. However, these figures will come down soon as those held in these cases will normally get bail after a 14-day judicial remand period, he says.
Police sources say that during election time, there will be a number of complaints pertaining to election campaign and the police will be forced to take immediate action owing to political pressure. Moreover, no political leader will interfere with the arrest to avoid any controversy.
The arrested will also lose a chance to cast their votes.
Saturday 2 April 2011
Confidence vs Development @ Kazhakoottam
Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
02 Apr 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The once remote Kazhakkoottam, which now finds a prominent place in the world’s IT map with the setting up of Asia’s first IT park, is witnessing a fierce battle between the two candidates who pin their hope on two different aspects; changes in political demography and development initiatives.
Two-time MLA M A Vaheed, who is the UDF candidate, is cashing in on the development programmes that he has initiated in the Kazhakkoottam constituency over the last one decade, whereas LDF candidate, C Ajayakumar of the CPM, is pinning his hopes mainly on the changes in the political demography of the constituency.
Following delimitation, certain parts of the constituency such as Andoorkonam, Kadinamkulam and Pothencode where Vaheed as well as the UDF had a strong influence, got detached from the Kazhakkoottam constituency. Similarly, certain other areas such as Ulloor and Kadakampally, where the LDF got an upper hand, have been attached to the constituency.
"The changes brought about by the delimitation process is indeed an advantage to the LDF, besides various other factors," Ajayakumar told ‘Express’ amidst his busy election campaigning near Ulloor on Friday.
However, the two-time MLA Vaheed is trying to overcome this adverse factor by highlighting the developments he had initiated in the constituency and nearby areas during the past one decade.
"I do not need an introduction in Kazhakkoottam as the people here know me very well. I made this possible with the massive developments I have brought in to the constituency over the past one decade. Kazhakkoottam now has all the facilities as that of a city,” says Vaheed.
For the people of Kazhakkoottam it was quite a different experience to watch Vaheed travelling in an open jeep, as he often travels through the constituency on his Yezdi motorcycle. “Indeed, Vaheed is more familiar to us than Ajayakumar,” says a shopkeeper at Sreekaryam.
Countering the claims of Vaheed with regard to the development initiatives, Ajayakumar, who was a former chairman of the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority, lists out the development initiatives he had initiated which includes new shopping complexes and road widening.
While Vaheed lists out the infrastructure development he had brought in, Ajayakumar counters it.
"Many panchayats in Kazhakkoottam are still waiting for electricity and other basic infrastructure. Is it the type of development that we require?” Ajayakumar asks.
Among the list of development initiatives of Vaheed are the film and video park and the apparel park of KINFRA. “Both the projects would not have attained the present heights without my initiative,” says Vaheed.
Both the UDF and the LDF candidates are claiming credit for the development of the Technopark over these years. However, both the Fronts have decided to keep off Technopark campus from campaigning. “We do not want to disturb the atmosphere on Technopark campus and hence, are not campaigning on the campus though a good number of IT professionals are now voters of the constituency, "says Vaheed. Amidst the positive and negative factors that both the Fronts share, the UDF and the LDF are quite neck and neck in the campaign front and both the candidates are confident of making it with a clear majority.
In the meantime, the BJP candidate is also pinning hopes on the changes brought in by delimitation.
“With the delimitation, various areas such as Karikkakom, Cheruvaikkal and Edavakode where the BJP has a considerable support, are attached to the constituency. Hence, it will be advantage BJP this time,” says party candidate Padmakumar.
Padmakumar, who is confident of giving a tough fight to both the UDF and the LDF, is mainly highlighting the ‘failure’ of both the Fronts in bringing development to Kazhakkoottam, especially with regard to the development of roads.
The New Indian Express
02 Apr 2011
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The once remote Kazhakkoottam, which now finds a prominent place in the world’s IT map with the setting up of Asia’s first IT park, is witnessing a fierce battle between the two candidates who pin their hope on two different aspects; changes in political demography and development initiatives.
Two-time MLA M A Vaheed, who is the UDF candidate, is cashing in on the development programmes that he has initiated in the Kazhakkoottam constituency over the last one decade, whereas LDF candidate, C Ajayakumar of the CPM, is pinning his hopes mainly on the changes in the political demography of the constituency.
Following delimitation, certain parts of the constituency such as Andoorkonam, Kadinamkulam and Pothencode where Vaheed as well as the UDF had a strong influence, got detached from the Kazhakkoottam constituency. Similarly, certain other areas such as Ulloor and Kadakampally, where the LDF got an upper hand, have been attached to the constituency.
"The changes brought about by the delimitation process is indeed an advantage to the LDF, besides various other factors," Ajayakumar told ‘Express’ amidst his busy election campaigning near Ulloor on Friday.
However, the two-time MLA Vaheed is trying to overcome this adverse factor by highlighting the developments he had initiated in the constituency and nearby areas during the past one decade.
"I do not need an introduction in Kazhakkoottam as the people here know me very well. I made this possible with the massive developments I have brought in to the constituency over the past one decade. Kazhakkoottam now has all the facilities as that of a city,” says Vaheed.
For the people of Kazhakkoottam it was quite a different experience to watch Vaheed travelling in an open jeep, as he often travels through the constituency on his Yezdi motorcycle. “Indeed, Vaheed is more familiar to us than Ajayakumar,” says a shopkeeper at Sreekaryam.
Countering the claims of Vaheed with regard to the development initiatives, Ajayakumar, who was a former chairman of the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority, lists out the development initiatives he had initiated which includes new shopping complexes and road widening.
While Vaheed lists out the infrastructure development he had brought in, Ajayakumar counters it.
"Many panchayats in Kazhakkoottam are still waiting for electricity and other basic infrastructure. Is it the type of development that we require?” Ajayakumar asks.
Among the list of development initiatives of Vaheed are the film and video park and the apparel park of KINFRA. “Both the projects would not have attained the present heights without my initiative,” says Vaheed.
Both the UDF and the LDF candidates are claiming credit for the development of the Technopark over these years. However, both the Fronts have decided to keep off Technopark campus from campaigning. “We do not want to disturb the atmosphere on Technopark campus and hence, are not campaigning on the campus though a good number of IT professionals are now voters of the constituency, "says Vaheed. Amidst the positive and negative factors that both the Fronts share, the UDF and the LDF are quite neck and neck in the campaign front and both the candidates are confident of making it with a clear majority.
In the meantime, the BJP candidate is also pinning hopes on the changes brought in by delimitation.
“With the delimitation, various areas such as Karikkakom, Cheruvaikkal and Edavakode where the BJP has a considerable support, are attached to the constituency. Hence, it will be advantage BJP this time,” says party candidate Padmakumar.
Padmakumar, who is confident of giving a tough fight to both the UDF and the LDF, is mainly highlighting the ‘failure’ of both the Fronts in bringing development to Kazhakkoottam, especially with regard to the development of roads.
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