The Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) staged a walkout from the Assembly on Wednesday in protest against the refusal to grant leave to move a notice for an adjournment motion on the murder of security personnel K. Chandrabose in Thrissur recently.
Home and Vigilance Minister Ramesh Chennithala, opposing the notice given by Babu M. Palissery, V.S. Sunil Kumar, Jose Thettayil, and A.K. Saseendran, said there was no lapse on the part of the police and no interference in the investigation as alleged.
Stating that it was a brutal and heinous crime that shocked society, the Home Minister said the accused, Mohammed Nisham, should be given the maximum sentence. The victim was not capable of giving the dying declaration although the probe team had approached the doctors treating him.
The Home Minister said the clothes Chandrabose was wearing at the time of the attack were deposited in a waste bin at the hospital where he was under treatment and they had been lost. But it would not affect the case.
Fair and impartial probe was on and the Chief Minister’s office and the State Police Chief had not intervened as alleged, he said. The investigation team would make Nisham’s wife co-accused in the case if they found that she was involved.
ADGP (North) was supervising the investigation and that charge sheet would be filed within 90 days. ADGP (Crimes) had been asked to probe into the financial dealings and the economic offence wing was on the job. A special public prosecutor suggested by the family of the victim would be posted in a day or two. Earlier, seeking leave for the motion, Mr. Palissery said the leaders of the ruling front had tried to shield the accused and that P.A. Madhavan, MLA, had close links with him.
The police have weakened the case by not taking the dying declaration, not storing the blood-stained clothes of the guard, and not making the wife of Nisham a co-accused. “We will not be surprised if it is made a suicide case with the interpretation that Chandrabose jumped in front of the car,” he said, demanding a probe by a Special Investigation Team.
Intervening, Chief Whip P.C. George said he had never told that the Chief Minister’s office had intervened. Mr. Madhavan said he had visited the jail for the advisory meet and had not met the accused as alleged.
The Opposition trooped out after pro-tem Speaker Dominic Presentation disallowed leave for the adjournment motion. Before the walkout, Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan accused the ruling front of shielding the accused and alleged that the government was not with the victim.
