Date:20/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/20/stories/2008082051550300.htm

Kerala - Kozhikode

Congress seeks ACP’s suspension

Staff Reporter

Over alleged detention of a newly married couple

Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup

Face to face: The police blocking a Congress protest march to the Additional DGP’s office in the city on Tuesday.

Kozhikode: Hundreds of activists of the Congress party and its feeder organisation, the Youth Congress, took out a march to the North Zone Additional Director General of Police’s office at Nadakkavu here on Tuesday demanding that the government suspend the Kozhikode city Assistant Commissioner of Police (North) C.M. Pradeepkumar who was allegedly involved in the “illegal detention” of a couple a fortnight ago.

Former Minister P. Sankaran inaugurated the agitation. District Congress Committee president K.C. Abu and former Minister A. Sujanapal addressed the protestors.

The speakers said that atrocities of the police had increased during the regime of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front government in the State.

A Youth Congress leader demanded that the President of India rescind her decision to award the Indian Police Medal to Mr. Pradeepkumar. (Mr.Pradeepkumar was one of winners of the police medals announced on the eve of this Independence Day)

The march commenced from Eranhipalam at 11 a.m. A large contingent of police personnel blocked the protesters at East Nadakkavu. Traffic on Kannur Road and East Nadakkavu Link Road was blocked for more than an hour. The demonstrators dispersed at noon.

The Congress also brought the couple, Jomesh and Priya, whom the police had taken into custody during their marriage ceremony a fortnight ago, for taking part in the demonstration.

The case relates to the Nadakkavu police taking the couple into custody on August 6. Priya’s parents had filed a complaint stating that their daughter had gone missing a week back.

The police had also arrested five persons including Rajesh, brother of Jomesh. Joji, another brother of Jomesh, allegedly committed suicide fearing arrest. Later, the Kozhikode Judicial First Class Magistrate’s Court- IV allowed the girl to live with her husband.

Petition in court

Meanwhile, the Magistrate’s court here collected statements from Deepu Sadanandan, an advocate who had earlier moved a petition seeking prosecution of Mr. Pradeepkumar for taking the couple into custody, abetting suicide and torture in custody of five youths. The petition also sought a directive from the court to give compensation of Rs.1 crore to the family of Joji.

Magistrate V.P.M. Suresh Babu also posted a hearing on September 9 to collect evidence from others on the public interest litigation. Those who have been named as witnesses are Jomesh, Priya, Jomesh’s borther Rajesh, his mother Pushpavalli, Inspector General of Police (Kannur Range) V. Shantaram, Kozhikode City Police Commissioner Anup Kuruvilla John, Assistant Collector N. Prasanth, and Government Beach Hospital Resident Medical Officer C.J. Michael.