Vinson M. Paul, Additional Director General of Police, will continue to head the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader T.P. Chandrasekharan, even though he had applied for leave on personal grounds, said Minister for Home Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan.
He was speaking at a ‘Face-to-Face' programme at the Ernakulam Press Club here on Friday. The investigation is progressing in the right direction, he said.
Mr. Paul had applied for leave much earlier to go abroad to attend a personal function and the government had approved it. Necessary steps have been taken to ensure that the investigation in the case would not be hampered, the Minister said.
He said the ongoing investigation was not a political witch-hunt, as it was not the policy of the State government. For the past couple of decades, no proper investigation had been conducted into murders committed in northern Malabar. Cases were filed on the basis of bogus lists of suspects provided by the accused themselves.
Commenting on a reported statement by the Kerala High Court on the progress of the investigation, he said the State government would study the statement. The government had no objection in correcting its stand if the High Court pointed out a mistake, Mr. Radhakrishnan said.
The government would not yield to political pressure by Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] activists to obstruct the investigation, he said.
Asked about criticism about practices in the jail, Mr. Radhakrishnan said the entire jail system would be subjected to a comprehensive change. Discussions have been held with the Additional Director General of Police, Jail, and reforms are being discussed. Not just paintings, anything found in violation of jail rules would be removed from the jail premises, he said.
Directions had been given to take strict action against moral policing, Mr. Radhakrishnan said.
