Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said that the recent murder of Indian Union Muslim League activist Abdul Shukkur in Kannur is a blot on the police force.
Presiding over a high-level meeting of officers of the Kerala Police after inaugurating a modern conference hall at the police headquarters here on Friday, Mr. Chandy said the police had failed to intervene when he had been kept under confinement for over two-and-a-half hours. However, it is noteworthy that the police later swung into action to bring to book those behind the murder and maintain law and order.
The Chief Minister reiterated that his government would deal firmly with anti-social elements, quotation gangs, and those indulging in violence against women and children. Crimes that society sees with fear should be brought under fast-track courts and the accused should be punished within six months.
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The Chief Minister said the police could intervene effectively in the case of the marines on an Italian ship shooting two Indian fishermen. The police had won accolades for their action at the national level. The police action of bringing the Italian vessel to Kochi had given a lot of confidence to hundreds fishermen who venture into the sea daily for their livelihood.
He said that communal clashes and terrorist activities could be prevented to a great extent if social security was ensured to all sections of people.
Though there had been attempts to establish a base in the State by those running terror networks, these had not succeeded. It is not the responsibility of the police alone to fight these challenges, he said adding the government can do a lot in this regard.
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The government will give priority to the development of backward regions, colonies that do not have basic infrastructure, and coastal and hilly areas.
Expressing concern over the mounting road accidents due to speeding, Mr. Chandy announced that more funds and posts would be provided for road safety in the State. Road safety awareness programmes will be intensified, he added.
At the function, Mr. Chandy inaugurated the road safety signature tune being launched in association with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and the connectivity pages having the telephone numbers of top officials. Those calling 100 and mobile phones of police officers can hear traffic safety messages instead of dialler tones. The Chief Minister presented mementoes to the police personnel who bagged medals in the 60 All India Police Athletic Championship and Circle Inspector, Venjaramood, K.R. Biju, who cracked the murder of the 10 standard student Arya.