The Hindu : Rajendran granted bail, CPI rejects it

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 12, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Rajendran granted bail, CPI rejects it

By Our Staff Reporter

THRISSUR JUNE 11. The Principal District and Sessions Judge, James J. Murikkan, has granted bail to the CPI legislative party leader, K. P. Rajendran, MLA, who was arrested in connection with the violent incidents in Thrissur recently.

However, the district unit of the party and the LDF decided not to take steps to release him from custody, till bail is granted to all the 120-odd persons arrested in connection with the incidents. The objective could also be to use his detention as an issue of UDF-LDF confrontation in the Assembly session beginning on Wednesday.

The Judge had granted bail to Mr. Rajendran when his counsel drew the attention of the court about the beginning of the Assembly session and the need for him to attend the session. The Judge then acceded to the request to consider the case of Mr Rajendran as a special case, when the prosecution also informed the court that the Government too had no objection in granting him bail.

The judge in his order said, ``since it has been submitted that the 15th petitioner (Mr Rajendran) is an MLA and the Assembly session is beginning on Wednesday I a.m. inclined to grant him bail as his presence is necessary (in the Assembly) to expose the cause of the general public. In the result it is ordered to release the 15th petitioner in bail on execution of bond for Rs. 25,000 with two sureties for the like sum to the satisfaction of the Judicial First Class Magistrate II of Thrissur. The bail applications of the remaining accused have been posted for hearing on June 15''. The CPI sources said they are not planning to execute bonds and produce sureties for the release of Mr Rajendran till the other accused are granted bail.

Plea to rights panel

Meanwhile, two petitions related to the violent incidents during the toddy tappers' agitation and the alleged lock-up torture afterwards came up during the sitting of the chairman of the State Human Rights Commission, Justice M. M. Pareed Pillay, here today. The first petition filed by C A Babu had asked the commission to inquire into the allegations that police had rounded up even children in connection with the incidents.

The secretary of the Thrissur-based Public Interest Forum, V K Venkitachalam, in his petition asked the commission to seek reports from the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Chief Fire Officer of Thrissur showing reasons why the violent incidents were not contained in time. Justice Pillay said that the commission would decide on its course of action after inquiring into the allegations.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Karunakaran attacks police policy

Tribal resettlement: departments told to identify land

Boost to forest conservation

Record credit disbursal in dist.

Supplyco asked to improve services

Move to redeploy `protected teachers' flayed

Tension created by Govt.: CITU

Coca-Cola denies allegations

Rajendran granted bail, CPI rejects it

Man dies in custody