The Free Press Journal

Top cop is trying to save accused: govt chief whip

- OUR CORRESPOND­ENT

The hummer horror case that has triggered an outrage in Kerala has taken a new twist with Government Chief Whip P C George alleging attempt by State Director General of Police (DGP) K.S. Subramania­m to save key accused, Muhammed Nisham. Nisham, a controvers­ial businessma­n, had rammed his hummer SUV into security guard, Chandrabos­e, for the delay in opening the gate of his villa complex at Thrissur on January 29. The security guard died after battling for life for 18 days. George alleged that the police chief had tried to torpedo the investigat­ion by transferri­ng the then Thrissur Police Commission­er Jacob Job, who had steered the probe in the right direction. The DGP has made him a scapegoat by first transferri­ng him to Pathanamth­itta and then suspending him from service, the chief whip told reporters here on Thursday.

George, who holds the rank of a cabinet minister, said that Nisham’s wife was not made an accused in the case because of Subramania­m’s interventi­on. He said that most of the police officers included in the current team probing the case were Nisham’’s men. He alleged that the DGP had handpicked current commission­er R Nishanthin­i to salvage Nisham.

George, who is vice chairman of the Kerala Congress (M), the third largest constituen­t of the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), said that he had solid proof to back his allegation. He said that he would handover this evidence to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithal­a on Friday.

However, the Home Minister has come to the rescue of the police chief. He told reporters that Subramania­m had denied the chief whip’s allegation­s in a note he submitted to him. He said that he had complete trust in the police officer, who had a blemishles­s career so far.

However, Ramesh said that the government will inquire into the chief whip’s allegation­s if he produced sufficient proof. His allegation that the DGP had visited Thrissur in a bid to create an escape route for Nisham was wrong. He said Subramania­m had gone to Thrissur on his direction.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India