'Coterie' in CM's office controlling police, not Pinarayi Vijayan: UDF in Kerala Assembly

Launching a scathing attack on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Congress-led UDF on Thursday alleged in the Assembly that a 'coterie' of persons in his office was controlling the police and not him.

The allegation was made by the Opposition UDF during heated discussions on the alleged continuation of police atrocities in the state and lack of steps on the part of the Left government to put an end to them.

The Opposition made the allegations in a notice moved by some UDF MLAs for adjournment of the House proceedings to discuss the issue of alleged police atrocities in the state.

Referring to the recent custodial death of a man, picked up for alleged drug possession, earlier this month, the Opposition alleged the victim was brutally beaten up by a special squad -- District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (DANSAF) -- under the Malappuram SP and demanded that he be suspended.

Responding to the allegations, Vijayan said the case registered regarding the custodial death will be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

He also said eight officers involved in the incident have been suspended.

"This government will not condone any assault or use of force against people in police stations under any circumstances," the CM said, adding none of the culprits in the case would be able to escape punishment.

He further said it was the government stand to hand over to CBI any case of custodial death.

In view of the stand taken by the CM, the permission to adjourn the House to discuss the issue was denied by Speaker A N Shamseer.

As permission for adjourning the House was denied, the Opposition staged a walkout in protest.

Speaking before the Opposition walked out, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly V D Satheesan lashed out at the government saying the Left administration has 'politicised' the police.

Satheesan further said it was not the CM but a 'coterie' in his office which was controlling the police and deciding how it should function.

The LoP was also irked by the CM's contention that police encounters were more frequent in some north Indian states which if named would disturb the UDF opposition.

"There have been police encounters in Kerala too," Satheesan pointed out and criticised the CM for praising the police.

"The police have become deplorable and a joke under the present government," he added.

N Samsudheen, an MLA of Congress ally IUML, who had moved the notice for adjourning the House along with some other UDF legislators, said the victim was brutally beaten to death by the special squad under the Malappuram SP.

He demanded that the SP be suspended as otherwise he might interfere with the CBI probe.

The IUML MLA said there were 21 injuries on the victim according to the post-mortem report.

He also alleged an FIR was lodged for drug possession and the victim was made the prime accused in it about three hours after his death.

The 30-year-old Jifri, an alleged drug peddler with criminal antecedents, was taken into custody along with four others by the police based on a tip-off and the gang was detained for possessing 18.14 grams of MDMA, a synthetic drug, on August 1, police had said.

"They were brought to the police station at around 1.30 am. At around 4.30 am, he collapsed. Jifri was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where the doctors declared him dead," the police had said.