Row over use of private car to shift Jayarajan

Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretary P. Jayarajan, who has been remanded in Central Prison in Kannur after his arrest in the Shukkoor murder case, was on Monday taken to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital in a private vehicle, triggering a controversy over the alleged special treatment given to him in violation of jail rules.

According to the jail authorities here, Mr. Jayarajan was taken to the medical college hospital from the jail in a police vehicle at around 9-30 a.m. on Wednesday for medical examination. M. Raveendran, Assistant Sub Inspector of the Armed Reserve Camp here, and four police personnel were on escort duty. The arrival of Mr. Jayarajan in the hospital reportedly in a private vehicle with registration number KL 58 C 1717 registered in his own name kicked up the controversy with the police and the jail authorities blaming each other for the use of the private vehicle for taking Mr. Jayarajan, a remand prisoner, in the private vehicle. Mr. Jayarajan was reportedly shifted to the private vehicle when the police vehicle he was on board developed mechanical trouble after it passed Koyilandi near Kozhikode.

When contacted, Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Shivadas K. Thyaparambil said that he directed the jail Superintendent to submit a report on the shifting of Mr. Jayarajan to the private vehicle after the police vehicle developed trouble. Jail authorities here said that it was the duty of the police to take a jail inmate to hospital after he was handed over to the escorting police team.

According to the police sources, the incident also begs the question as to how the private vehicle arrived at the spot as soon as the police vehicle developed snags, they said. Superintendent of Police Rahul R. Nair has sought explanation from officers in the A.R. camp on the alleged incident. He also entrusted A.R. Camp Deputy Commandant V.K. Nissar and Special Branch Deputy Superintendent Kuberan Namboothiri to probe into the incident.