Kerala DGP gets SC clean chit Minister Mani offers to quit after his lewd comment sparks row
MANI QUESTIONED THE CHARACTER OF WOMEN ACTIVISTS, WHO HAD LAST YEAR HELD A SERIES OF PROTESTS AGAINST PLANTATION COMPANIES
Senkumar will assume his post with immediate effect and will be there in service till June 30. Reacting to the judgment, Senkumar said it was a good news for the police force. “This will help many officers who face similar problem,” he said. The senior officer was transferred within a week after the LDF formed its government.
Senkumar took over as DGP of Kerala on May 22, 2015, during the erstwhile Congress led-UDF government.
The court was “disturbed” with Kerala’s defence, which said the appointment was irregular if not illegal. “If that is so and the state government of Kerala is bent upon making irregular or illegal appointments to sensitive posts, then no one can help God’s own country,” the court said.
A certain degree of freedom was required to be given to the police by insulating it from possible attempts to control its independent functioning, the bench said. Kerala government had also justified the transfer on the ground that Senkumar had failed to perform his role as the state police chief on account of which more than 100 people had died and 400 injured in Puttingal temple fire on April 9, 2016.
It had also cited another incident of April 28, 2016, relating to the brutal murder of a young Dalit girl Jisha , in Ernakulum district to defend the transfer.
Kerala police on Monday registered a case against controversial minister MM Mani, who allegedly made lewd comments against a women’s collective of Munnar at a public meeting.
As pressure mounted on him, the power minister said he has never insulted women and offered to quit if his party, CPI(M), wanted.
State women’s commission member J Prameela, who visited the members of the women’s collective Pembilai Orumai who are fasting in Munnar, has asked the Idukki police superintendent to book the 70-year-old minister under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. With the state constitutional body directing police to file a case, Mani has little options before him.
Meanwhile, people in Idukki district observed a shutdown to protest against his comments. Mani’s remarks allegedly questioning the character of women activists, who had last year held a series of protests against plantation companies, have invited widespread criticism from many quarters, including his own party leaders.
CM Pinarayi Vijayan and party secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had disowned his speech and CPI leader Annie Raja sought his resignation.
The minister had expressed regret on Sunday but members of Pembilai Orumai wanted him to visit their fasting venue and tender a personal apology.
“He has to tender a personal apology for questioning our moral background,” said Gomati, leader of the women’s collective. However, Mani reiterated that his remarks were wrongly interpreted by the media and he never made any offensive remarks against women.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked one of its deputy superintendent of police (DSP) posted in the agency’s Mumbai branch on charges of criminal conspiracy and corruption.
The DSP, Neeraj Agarwal, along with another individual, was booked by CBI after Pradip Shah, the retired head cashier of Bank of Baroda’s Mumbai branch, filed a complaint alleging that the agency official demanded a bribe of ₹50 lakh from him. Not only did the CBI official called him at agency offices, but also sent multiple notices to the family of the complainant, including his wife, according to the FIR.
The other individual booked by the agency for allegedly conniving with Agarwal, has been identified simply as Tiwari, who according to the complainant was introduced to him as an income tax officer. The retired head cashier alleged that the DSP, along with the other individual, had demanded money in return for settling an income tax case that could be made out against the complainant.
The complainant has told CBI that the amount of bribe demanded by the two was brought down to ₹35 lakh by them after he told the duo that he couldn’t possible arrange the amount demanded from him.
Probe documents with HT state that the complaint by Shah was filed on April 22 following which CBI laid a trap and recorded conversation between Shah and Tiwari where the latter is demanding ₹4 lakh as the first instalment of the total ₹35 lakh.
All through April, Shah and his family was repeatedly summoned by the duo who finally set May 8 as the final day for payment.
THE AGENCY OFFICIAL HAD DEMANDED A BRIBE OF ₹50 LAKH FROM A RETIRED HEAD CASHIER OF BANK OF BARODA’S MUMBAI BRANCH