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SC wrong in saying Govindachamy did not commit murder: Former SC judge Katju

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Hours after the Supreme Court verdict on Soumya case commuting the death sentence of convict Govindachamy, former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju said that the apex court has erred in not holding him guilty of murder.

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld Kerala High Court verdict holding the convict guilty of rape, awarding him a life term. However, observing that the prosecution had failed to prove the charge of murder, the court acquitted him of the offense of murder and charged him under section 325. 

Simple explainer: Soumya case: Why the SC was unconvinced that Govindachamy murdered her

Saying that there is gross error in the apex court’s verdict acquitting Gocindachamy of murder charges and instead charging him under section 325 for causing grievious hurt, Katju pointed out that the evidence for doing so were "inadmissible." 

“In paragraph 15 of its judgment the Court observed that P.W. 4 and P.W. 40, who were travelling on a coach adjacent to the ladies compartment in which Soumya was travelling alone, said that they were told by a middle aged person in their compartment that Soumya had herself jumped off the train. But the evidence of P.W. 4 and 40 was hearsay, which is inadmissible in evidence. How could the Supreme Court have relied on it ? This is a gross error in the judgment,” he wrote on Facebook.

He said that the Supreme Court had ignored the Third part of Section 300 that states,

“it is a case of murder (for which capital punishment can be imposed under section 302) even if there was no intention to kill, if the accused inflicts a wound sufficient to cause the death of a person in the ordinary course of nature,” he said.

Elaborating on this, he wrote that the court had totally ignored Illustration (c) of section 300 that holds the accused guilty of murder although he may not have intended to cause death. 

Katju added that a head injury was grave enough to cause the death of a person.

"With respect to the Supreme Court it has totally ignored the Third part of section 300, and Illustration (c). (c) A intentionally gives Z a sword-cut or club-wound sufficient to cause the death of a man in the ordinary course of nature. Z dies in consequence. Here, A is guilty of murder, although he may not have intended to cause Z’s death. The head is a vital part of the body of a human, and repeated banging it against a wall is sufficient in the ordinary cause to cause death," he wrote.

Read the full status here:

23-year-old Soumya was attacked and brutally raped in January 2011, a few days after which she succumbed to her injuries. 

Also read: Govindachamy, the man who raped Kerala woman Soumya

Soumya's rapist, 'beggar' Govindachamy had an expensive lawyer who charged lakhs

SC commutes Govindachamy’s death sentence, gives life term in infamous Sowmya murder case in Kerala

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Kerala BJP calls Sree Narayana Guru a 'Hindu saint', netizens lash out

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Coming close on the heels of RSS and BJP's ‘Vamana Jayanthi’ controversy is a new one, with the Kerala BJP claiming Sree Narayana Guru was a 'Hindu saint’.

This is what the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala posted on their official Facebook page on the occasion of the Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi on Friday.

“Sree Narayana Guru is the greatest Hindu sanyasi that Kerala has gifted to the world. He is also the biggest revolutionary to have reformed the Hindu religion of all its ills. Even when the Guru raised his voice against corrupt practices that had crept into Hinduism, he took special care not to go against his own religion.

Guru’s actions should be a lesson to all those ‘progressive’ hypocrites who do not hesitate to speak against their state and culture in the name of modern thought. What is interesting is the fact that those who now try to make the Guru as one of their own -against the backdrop of the rising appeal of the Guru’s teachings among the masses- had once insulted and mocked the Guru and his teachings.

We will fight against any attempt to either distort the Guru’s teachings or to pluck him out of mainstream society. When the national summit of the Jan Sangh first met at Kozhikode in Kerala, the venue was named after the Guru."

While Kerala Congress Pradesh Committee (KPCC) president VM Sudheeran was quick to accuse the BJP of insulting the Guru, netizens were even quicker to jump in the fray, with many mocking the party for trying to portray the Guru in saffron robes.

Most were unanimous in their opinion on how the Guru could not be made an icon of any particular religion, as he was the one who propagated the revolutionary idea of ‘One Religion, One God, One Caste’.

One even went to the extent of advising the party to prop up Vamana and Vellappaly Natesan as their own, and leave the Guru alone, as he belonged to all people.

While some tried to make it out to be a battle between the communists and the Sanghis, the majority pointed out how the Guru occupied a place of pride in Kerala society that was above all petty politics.

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This is what the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kerala posted on their official Facebook page on the occasion of the Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi on Friday.
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Kerala will need three years to come out of existing financial crisis says Thomas Issac

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Kerala finance minister Thomas Isaac on Thursday rued the continuing financial crisis in the state, with him penning this year’s financial deficit at around Rs 14,000 crores.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of ‘Publishing Next’ -the annual conference of professionals from the publishing industry that he inaugurated- at Bolgatty Palace in Kochi, Isaac was however hopeful that the state would overcome its financial woes in  three years’ time.

In an article in the Livemint, Nidheesh MK writes that the state’s tax collection has nosedived in recent years.

The report says “after steadily increasing between 2008-09 and 2012-13 (in 2012-13, almost 51% of the state’s total revenue was from commercial taxes), it has been on a declining curve, so much so that the 17.75% growth in this head in 2006-11 period has dropped to 14.26% in 2011-16.”

The state’s non-plan expenditure has risen over the years. The state treasury’s closing balance too was at its lowest in 2015 at Rs.142.65 crore.

The minister expressed his optimism of being able to garner resources for the state’s development from Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIF-B), a financial institution set up for that very purpose.

The LDF government hopes to be able to reach a set target of Rs 20,000 crores in KIIF-B and the investment by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is an initial step in that direction, Isaac said.

KIIF-B would help tide over the acute financial crunch the state found itself in the nest three years, he added.

 

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Stop ‘double speak’ on dealing with stray dog menace: Cong tells Pinarayi govt

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The Congress party in Kerala has asked the CPI-M-led Pinarayi Vijayan government to end the "double speak" in handling the stray dog menace, which has become a burning social issue in the state. 

Speaking to IANS, State Congress president V.M. Sudheeran said on Friday that the double game is being enacted in the apex court of the country. "While in Kerala, the government has said they will take measures to cull ferocious dogs, but it has taken a very soft stand in the Supreme Court, where the case is going on. So, we demand that the government end this double talk and file a fresh affidavit to the effect that strict action will be taken in this regard," said Sudheeran. 

Sudheeran pointed out that even the apex court had observed that while dogs should be treated with care, it should not be done at the cost of hardships to the people.

"In their present affidavit, the Kerala government has not addressed the fears of the people of the state. This has not been done even after dogs attacked a lady here last month. Every day I read about attacks by dogs on human beings here. Although the government in Kerala says they will take strong measures, it can't be seen in the affidavits," said Sudheeran. 

According to the government, more than one lakh people in the state have been bitten by stray dogs this year and Kerala leads the rest of the country in the sale of anti-rabies vaccine. 

There have been a string of incidents recently where attacks by stray dogs have severely injured people in the state and in some cases caused deaths as well. 

On Aug 19, a 65-year-old woman was attacked and partly eaten up by 50 stray dogs, barely 10 km from the state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. 

The victim Sheeluamma, died in the Medical College hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. 

Earlier, another 50-year-old, Daisy was attacked by a group of dogs in a nearby locality on the seafront. 

 

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Speaking to IANS, State Congress president V.M. Sudheeran said on Friday that the double game is being enacted in the apex court of the country.
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Oommen Chandy slams LDF govt over SC verdict in Soumya murder case

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Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said that it was a serious lapse from the LDF government, which resulted in an adverse verdict from the Supreme Court in the Soumya murder case.

Chandy also urged the government to tender an apology to the people.

The Supreme Court had commuted the death sentence of the convict to life imprisonment in the Soumya murder case.

“The services of the probe team and advocates, who appeared in lower court and High court for the same case were not used properly by the present prosecutor. That was the reason for the failure,” Chandy said.

“The prosecutor who appeared in High Court, advocate Suresan’s performance was appreciable. The death sentence verdict was the result of their team’s five years of hard work. But the LDF government-appointed standing counsel, advocate general or director general of prosecutions did not seek Sukesan’s help in the case,” Chandy said.

He also pointed out that the UDF government earlier had passed an order to seek Sukesan’s advice when the case reached the Supreme Court.

“The SC verdict in the case has shocked entire Kerala. Soumya’s mother has also indicated that it was the government’s lapse which resulted in such a verdict,” Chandy added.

 

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With Pinarayi as CM, ‘vigilance’ is the watchword now in Kerala

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By Sanu George

Within three months of CPI-M strongman Pinarayi Vijayan taking over the reins of Kerala's administration, the spotlight has shifted from him to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) in general and its chief, Jacob Thomas, in particular, as he has by now nailed two leading former ministers - K.M. Mani and K. Babu.

Thomas who holds the rank of director general of police (DGP) has never been on the right side of rival UDF governments.

The latest instance was in the latter half of 2014, when the alleged bar scam surfaced and saw the Oommen Chandy government's credibility touching an all-time low. This followed the exit of Finance Minister K.M. Mani after bar owner Biju Ramesh alleged that bribes were paid to reopen bars that had been shut in pursuance of the government's new liquor policy. Thomas was then the second in command at the VACB and the decision to shunt him out had raised eyebrows.

Thomas was moved to head the fire services department and there too, he did not last and was shifted to the Kerala Police Housing and Construction Corporation.

Now, with Vijayan assuming office on May 25, one of his first decisions was to bring Thomas back by naming him as the VACB head. After keeping a low profile for two months, he got into the act and took on Mani and Babu, intensifying the action against them.

Earlier this month, VACB officials came knocking at the doors of Babu, his two daughters and two of his aides. It was something quite unprecedented for Kerala, where, over the years, when power alternates every five years between the Left and the Congress-led UDF, practically every allegation of corruption raised by these parties are swept under the carpet.

Thus, the only top political leader who had to cool his heels in jail in a corruption case was then UDF leader R.Balakrishna Pillai in 2011.

Sleuths also recorded Mani's statement and registered two fresh cases against the longest serving legislator, who has represented Palai in Kottayam district from 1967 onwards.

Not surprisingly, at the first meeting of the United Democratic Front (UDF) since the vigilance raids started, the leadership appeared to be jittery and its convenor, minister and speaker P.P. Thankachen, said there was a vindictive element as the Vijayan government was using the VACB as a tool to take on its political adversaries.

Vijayan, on expected lines, denied that the raids were politically motivated and said it was just law taking its own course.

But sources in the VACB point out that Thomas has only just begun and has made it clear that his job is to weed out corruption and so has asked his officers to keep a tab on all government officials.

Thomas is now said to be working on files pertaining to more than half a dozen former ministers in Chandy's cabinet whose names had surfaced in alleged corrupt deals in their departments.

With the assembly session scheduled later this month, it remains to be seen if Vijayan's 'vigilance' - the star of the moment - has been able to silence the UDF as it's on the floor of the assembly that the rival fronts vent out their anger.

 

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Chargesheet filed in Jisha case, scientific evidence will nail Ameerul Islam says cop

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90 days after the arrest of the accused Ameerul Islam, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Kerala police on Saturday filed the chargesheet in the Jisha murder case (that rocked Kerala in April 2016) before the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court. This was reportedly done to prevent the accused from availing statutory bail in the case.

The chargesheet that runs into more than 1500 pages has named a staggering 195 persons as witnesses in the case. The police collected almost 125 documents alongwith 75 material evidence apart from  conducting six scientific tests as proof of guilt of the accused.

In the SP's press meet held at Ernakulam, Unnirajan told reporters that the police were convinced that Ameerul acted alone and that he had trespassed into Jisha's house in a drunken state. He termed the investigation as one that has successfully completed its first stage.

The SP clarified that the CCTV footage of a girl walking along with a person in a yellow shirt could not be conclusively identified as that of Jisha. This had triggered of a huge controversy back then, he added. “As assumed earlier, Jisha did not go out to have food, but had eaten at home” he said.

Unnirajan described the accused as someone who was a sexual deviant. The murder weapon that had earlier been recovered bore the victim’s DNA traces, he told the gathered media.

Unnirajan also told reporters that the accused was charged of murder, rape, forced entry, destruction of evidence among a host of charges levied against the accused.

 

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Aluva Rural SP Unnirajan told reporters that there was both scientific and technical evidence against the accused Ameerul Islam.
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Tigresses roar: Kerala's Pulikali dance sees women actors for the first time in 200 years

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As this year’s Onam -Kerala’s state harvest festival- draws to a close, more than 500 symbolic ‘tigers’ were out on Thrissur’s Swaraj Round, the venue of the famed Pulikali or Kaduvakali (the Play of Tigers/Leopards).

This colourful procession has ‘pot-bellied’ men paint their entire torsos in oil-paint to look like tigers who then indulge in a cat-and-mouse session with a gun-wielding hunter through the entire duration of the road-march.

(All images by KK Najeeb)

But this time, these two-footed males in the garb of tigers were also accompanied by three ‘tigresses’. This was for the very first time in the history of this 200-year old folk dance form.

Sakkeena who is a fashion-designer from Kozhikode, assistant sub-inspector N A Vinaya from Thrissur and Divya, a teacher from Mallapuram were part of the 51-member Viyur Desham team that participated in the Pulikali at Thrissur’s Thekkinadu Maidanam.

All the three women are affiliated to the Women Integration and Growth through Sports (WINGS) - an NGO working for women empowerment- of which Vinaya is the state coordinator.

"This is the first time in its history that women are participating in Pulikali. We are proud and happy to be its pioneers. We hope this will prove to be an inspiration for others in the coming years, wherein we will also try to introduce an all-women team," says Vinaya, while speaking to The News Minute.

Thrissur Coporation Councillor and this year’s Pulikali coordinator Anoop hails the inclusion of women as a welcome initiative that would only add value to the cultural fiesta.

"In Pulikali we have never had any restrictions imposed on the presence of women. It was just hesitation on their own part that stopped them from coming forward to take part in the same. To now have three women included is definitely a very welcome initiative," he opines.

Believed to have been introduced by erstwhile ruler of Cochin Maharaja Rama Varma Sakthan Thampuran two centuries ago, Pulikali, is held near the Vadakkunathan temple in Thrissur annually. The folk dance that celebrates bravery and fighting spirit is also popular in Palakkad.

The elaborate make-up itself is a long-drawn out process and starts long before the procession actually begins. The participants flaunt artificial ‘bouncing tummies’ to add mirth to their ‘wild’ antics.

The mantra being; the bigger the tummy, the better the bounce. And if genetically blessed with one, what more could the audience ask for!  

People throng from afar to see this colourful riot of colours inter-played with the tenuous relationship between man and beast.

WINGS was initiated by  Vinaya last year, when she served at the Thrissur Police Academy, solely for the purpose of enabling social upliftment of women in the state, especially housewives who have had little interaction with the outside world. 

Images by KK Najeeb

 

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LDF all set to change Kerala's liquor policy? No more shops to shut down

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In what may be seen as a major modification to Kerala’s liquor policy, the state government is reported to have decided not to shut down any more liquor outlets.

KP Saikiran reports for The Times of India that the LDF government has decided not to shut down 10% of liquor outlets this year as per the liquor policy enforced since 2014.

The government order cancelling the previous UDF government’s order is yet to be issued by the Pinarayi government, says the report.

According to the policy, 10% of liquor outlets would shut down on October 2 every year. Since 2014, 68 Bevco and 10 Consumerfed outlets have been shut, reports TOI.

With the state government cancelling the shut down, 306 remaining outlets will remain functional. This includes 270 Bevco outlets and 36 consumerfed outlets.

In 2014, the abkari act of 1967 was amended to allow complete prohibition of sale of alcohol. Only hotels with five star and above classification were allowed to sell alcohol.

For the UDF government that implemented the liquor policy despite Bevco being one of the highest revenue generator for the state, it had however failed to retain them in the assembly election held in May. 

Though the UDF government had heavily counted on the implementation of the policy to ride them back to power, controversies surrounding the policy had taken a toll on the previous government. 

Since the LDF government assumed office, the government had maintained that the state is not looking forward to total prohibition of liquor, but reduction in consumption. 

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Three years after train robbery leaves her partially blind, Kerala TV anchor awaits justice

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Three years ago, Disha Divakar, a Malayali woman, was 23 and at the peak of her career as a television anchor. A robbery attempt in a train left her partially blind and physically weak.

Disha suffered a severe head injury that left her unconscious for three months and pushed her family neck-deep in debt.

The discussion on the lack of safety for women in trains has gained momentum once again after the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Soumya case. But for Disha, little has changed since that fateful day in August 2013, when she was returning to her hometown Kozhikode from Ernakulam after a shoot, in the ladies’ compartment.

Disha claims that around 6 pm, she went to use the toilet on the train. She had her bag with her.

On hearing a knock, she opened the door to step out. The robber demanded that she hand over the bag to him. When she refused to do so, he pushed her off the train. A few locals found Disha and took her to the hospital. The police recovered contents from her bag from the track a day later.

No eyewitness came forward to report the incident.

As a result of the fall, Disha completely lost vision in her left eye and has partial vision in the other. The left side of her body, including her arms and legs, have gone weak post the incident. 

"I was doing well professionally at the time this happened. Having to rely on my mother for every little thing is not a pleasant feeling. I don't want my family to go through all the despair because of me," Disha told The News Minute. 

The railways is yet to pay her any compensation.

Since she was unconscious for three months, Divakaran, Disha’s father, says that her story was wrongly reported.

"None of us knew how she had fallen off the train. But media reports said that she was carelessly standing near the door, talking on her mobile phone. Others speculated that she had jumped off the train. But we were sure that she wouldn't be so careless as to be carried away by a phone call. She had been regularly travelling by train at the time," Divakaran says. 

When she told her story later, no police case was registered, says Divakaran. When the family was unable to pay for her medical expenses, they approached the railways for compensation.

"The accident happened because of lack of security in the train. Is it not their responsibility to take care of the passenger's safety?" asks Divakaran. 

But so far, nothing has happened on that front. 

"Everybody saw this happening, but nobody even pulled the train's chain. Without an eyewitness account, we are unable to claim the compensation amount," Disha says.

Disha wants to fight till she gets the compensation amount but years later, the family does not think that any passenger on the train will come forward to record their statement.

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Jisha rape and murder: Family of accused Ameer-Ul Islam puts blame on his friend

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A day after the Special Investigation Team submitted chargesheet in the Jisha rape and murder case, family of the accused in the case has named a friend of his as being responsible for the crime.

Speaking to the media, Badar-ul-Islam brother of the accused Ameerul-Islam said that a friend of his brother had committed the crime.

According to reports, the police on Saturday named Ameerul as the sole accused in the case. He has been arraigned under Sections 449, 376 and 302 of the IPC, Section 3(2)(V)of SC/ST (PA)Act 1989 and Section 3 (1) (w)(I and II) SC/ST (POA) Amendment act 2015. 

30-year-old Jisha was raped and brutally murdered on April 28 at her residence in Perumbavoor. 

“Ameerul told me that his friend killed Jisha and that he did not have any part in it. Ameerul did not even know her. This friend had issues with Jisha’s mother and took Ameerul along with him to Jisha’s house. They were both under the influence of alcohol,” Badar told the media.

Badar, who now works as a labourer in Perumbavoor, reiterated that his brother had told him many times that he was innocent.

However, Ernakulam Rural SP Unnirajan told The News Minute that Badar had never mentioned this during the course of the investigation. Badar was taken into custody by the police for allegedly helping Ameer flee Perumbavoor after committing the crime. 

"Ameer had once named this friend of his as being responsible for the crime. But during our investigation, we found that this friend had left Perumbavoor many months before the crime took place," Unnirajan said. 

He added that it was only natural for the accused's family to try every method possible to save the accused. 

Meanwhile, Jisha's mother Rajeshwari told Asianet News that neither did they know Ameerul before nor did the accused have any reason to take revenge on the family.

"It is Ameerul who killed my daughter. Police investigation and DNA reports have confirmed that. Now I need to know why he killed Jisha," Rajeswari said. 

Also read: As Jisha’s killer was caught, her neighbourhood remained unmoved

In ward No. 5, Jisha's heartbroken mother still unable to accept her daughter's tragic end

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"Ameerul told me that his friend killed Jisha and that he did not have any part in it. Ameerul did not even know her," Badar said.
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BJP committee studying political violence in Kerala, demands CBI inquiry on attacks on their cadre

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The BJP on Sunday alleged some 400 cases of assault on its activists in Kerala since the Left took power and demanded a probe either by the CBI or a high court judge.

"Ever since the Pinarayi Vijayan government assumed office four months ago, 400 cases of assault against our cadres by CPI-M supporters have taken place," BJP General Secretary Bhupendra Yadav said. 

"We demand a probe either by the Central Bureau of Investigation or by a high court judge since justice from the state government is impossible," the MP said. 

Yadav led a delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders who visited Kannur and other areas in Kerala for two days.

According to reports, they visited the houses of BJP workers allegedly killed by CPI (M) workers.

Party chief Amit Shah had on September 11 constituted a five-member committee to study the attack on its workers in Kerala, in the wake of recent bomb attack on state committee office in Thiruvananthapuram.

Read: Amit Shah constitutes central team to probe CPI (M)-BJP clashes in Kerala, attack on BJP office

The team included Meenakshi Lekhi, N.K. Hegde and Nalinkumar Katteel as well as H. Raja, the party secretary in charge of Kerala.

Yadav claimed that violence against BJP cadres had happened in the Chief Minister's village as well.

(Image from BJP Kerala Facebook page)

The team members on Sunday called on Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam and Home Secretary Nalini Netto and submitted an account of what it said was violence unleashed by the Communist Party of India-Marxist cadres.

"Three of our councillors have been killed in road accidents, 200 houses of our party members have been attacked... We do not expect to get justice under Vijayan," said Lekhi.

Lekhi gave a clean chit to BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh cadres for violence in Kannur.

Kerala Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan told reporters in New Delhi that the BJP team's visit to the state was meant to please the RSS leaders and there was nothing else to it.

(With inputs from IANS)

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3 killed in Kozhikode flash floods, search on for 3 others

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A rescue team recovered the bodies of three young men washed away by flash floods in a river in Kozhikode district. 

On Sunday evening, a group of nine young men ventured out into the water at a check dam on the Kadanthra river in Kuttiyadi for bathing. They are believed to be a group of students and labourers, all residents of Kozhikode. 

The team recovered Rajeesh's body on Sunday night, and that of two others, including a man named Shine Shashi, early on Monday morning. The other body is yet to be identified. 

The bodies of the two identified men will be handed over to their families after the post-mortem is conducted at Kutiyadi taluk hospital. 

According to reports, three of the nine men, Amal, Jishnu and Vineesh, managed to save themselves and have been hospitalised. The Fire and Rescue team is conduting a search for another three men who remain missing. 

A team of NDRF personnnel from Thrissur district have been roped in for the rescue operations.

According to reports, a landslide in the forests and a cloudburst are the likely reasons for the sudden rise in water levels that snared the youngsters. 

State Ministers TP Ramakrishnan and AK Saseendran visited the area to monitor rescue efforts. 

 

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Controversy rages after talk show airs Kerala man's poem on woman’s love for her rapist

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In the backdrop of the controversy over who had exactly penned a poem ‘Sakhav’ (Comrade) that went viral on social media in August this year, Kairali TV on Saturday hosted an interview of Sam Mathew AD and Pratheeksha Sivadas who had come forward claiming its ownership.

The talk show ‘JB Junction’ hosted by Kairali Managing Director and media advisor to CM Pinarayi Vijayan, John Brittas chose not to linger on the controversy, but rather tried to forge an atmosphere of bonhomie between the three participants.

Little did Brittas think it would actually pave way for an even bigger controversy over yet another poem that Sam claimed to have penned.

When Pratheeksha -a Plus Two student- had claimed that Sakhav was originally written by her, the main criticism directed against Sam had been his claim to have written in the female voice.

In the Brittas interview, Sam reiterated that it was not the first time that he had written in the female voice and quoted from one of his other poems ‘Padarppu’ (Spread) that spoke about how a rape victim falls in love with her rapist.

The poem describes how the victim -moved by love- refuses to reveal her attacker’s identity, despite the fact that he preyed on her out of sheer lust.

The poem goes on to dwell on the victim’s expecting motherhood and how she revels in that fact. 

Cutting across political affiliations, Sam’s poem was branded downright chauvinistic and a blatant insult to all rape victims.

Even while Sam chose to describe the poem as that of a girl who falls in love with the man who gifts his sperm to her, not many appreciated the patriarchal smugness that it reeked of. Even the ‘Sakhav’ poem had drawn criticism for the very same patriarchal benevolence.

Well-known Malayali director Ashiq Abu was brusque in his reaction. Terming Sam a foolish poet, he found it ludicrous that the victim who had been ripped apart in all senses of the term should now even have to ‘love’ the perpetrator of the repulsive crime against her.

Journalist Lakshmi Narayan ridiculed Sam’s inability to relate to any girl’s emotions much less that of a rape victim. Activist Anila Balakrishnan chose not to be surprised at the utter lack of comprehension on anything remotely connected to a woman on the part of all those below-30 comrades, as she was now ‘habituated’ to seeing such callousness being routinely churned out by the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the Communist party of India (Marxist).

Film-maker Sanal Sasidharan however asked to focus on the ‘good’ in the college campuses of Kerala, rather than highlight the ‘trash’ that is bound to be found there.

‘Sakhavu’ is about a college ‘tree’ that was in love with a party worker of the Students Federation of India (SFI) in the very same campus. The poem goes on to describe how the tree longs for the comrade after his arrest by the police and subsequent martyrdom.

Arya Dayal who had rendered the poem as a song -the video of which went viral- too was present on the show.

 

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Four Kerala youths consume antipsychotic drug with alcohol, one dies

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One youth died and three others have been hospitalised in Kerala after they allegedly consumed an antipsychotic drug along with alcohol.

17-year-old Vipin Das, a resident of Kaipamangalam in Thrissur district collapsed when he returned home on Sunday evening. Though he was rushed to the hospital immediately, Vipin did not survive.

Vipin’s friends and neighbours, Akshay, Harilal and Anil, aged between 17 and 18, were hospitalised after they complained of dizziness.

The police recovered empty strips of the drug Quetiapine from an empty plot near their home, where the foursome met and consumed alcohol.

Irinjalakkuda DySP Merin Joseph told The News Minute that after they consumed alcohol together at the plot, Vipin went away with another friend and consumed more during the day.

“According to their statements, a friend of one of the boys supplied them with the drug. They were told that consuming the drug with alcohol would increase the high. They say that after consuming alcohol with them for some time, Vipin had gone off with another friend,” she said.

Quetiapine, an antipsychotic drug is a scheduled drug, available only with a prescription. The police have identified the friend who supplied the drug to the group. 

“We have also identified the medical store in Valappad from where this friend got the drug. So far we have learnt that this boy did not possess a prescription. The medical store owner can be booked under section 304 if this is proven," Merin said. 

 

 

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Civic body representatives in Kerala initiate stray dog culling

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26 stray dogs were killed within a span of 24 hours at the Chengamanadu Panchayat of Aluva in Kerala. The mass killing was carried out on Sunday night and Monday morning, after a unanimous decision was taken by panchayat committee despite the legal restrictions in place.

As per news reports, the panchayat representatives themselves led the mass drive to cull the strays in the area. According to the members, the culling of strays would continue in the coming days too. In Chengamanadu, stray dog menace has reached alarming proportions.

Panchayat president PR Rajesh told the media that all 18 panchayat members had together initiated the said drive and it would be implemented in every panchayat ward.

Apart from ward members, local political leaders and natives of the area too joined in the move to annihilate the stray menace.

The Panchayat president reiterated that they were ready to face any legal action in the matter.

Chengamanadu is just one among the many other panchayats in Kerala that have gone ahead with the drive to rein in the stray menace through killing of the dogs.

On 16 September, Gils Periappuram -a Muncipality ward councillor of Piravam in Ernakulam was arrested by the police for killing ten stray dogs. He was later given bail. The incident came to light after a video of the slain dogs was released online and shared on Whatsapp.

Earlier in the Njarackal Panchayat in Ernakulam, another panchayat member, Mini Raju, was also arrested for the same crime.

Businessman and founder Chairman of the V-Guard Industries Limited, Kochouseph Chittilappilly who has been actively campaigning against the stray dog menace in Kerala has extended his wholehearted support for both Gils and Mini.

Chittilappilly termed their acts as noble, and ones propelled by their ‘courage and commitment to a people's issue."

 

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Helmetless motorcycle riders hit cop trying to stop them in Thiruvananthapuram

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Two bike-borne men allegedly hit a police officer with their bike on Monday in Thiruvananthapuram.

The incident occurred when 54-year-old Satheesh Kumar, Armed Reserve Camp Sub-Inspector, reportedly tried to stop the helmetless riders in Vazhamuttam. According to reports, the biker did not slow down and rammed the police officer instead.

The officer, who sustained a head injury, has been admitted to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital and is under observation for three days, a doctor at the hospital told Manorama News.

The riders, Muhammad Noufi and Shibu, who also fell off their bike after it hit the officer, fled the scene while the other police officers took the SI to the hospital.

Another police officer, Vinod, accompanying the SI at the time of the incident, told Asianet News that the police had traced the bike riders. 

The duo have been admitted to the government hospital with minor injuries. 

Saying that they did not intend to hurt the SI, one of the riders told media that the officer forcefully grabbed the bike's handle bar, as a result of which they fell off. The police is yet to register a case against Muhammad and Shibu. 

 

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Kerala man killed allegedly by brothers, body kept inside septic tank for 15 days

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Following a dispute over property, four siblings allegedly killed their brother and hid the dead body inside a septic tank in Palakkad district.

Manikandan, 43, was missing from home since September 5 and nobody had complained about this to the police. Neighbours reportedly noted that Manikandan was even missing for the marriage of his brother, which happened last week.

Following this, some of the locals grew suspicious and informed the police.

Initially, the secret wing of the police conducted an enquiry and found that there was some mystery in the case. Later, Puthupariyaram Panchayath president filed a complaint with the police, and a case was registered.

After questioning the brothers, it came to light that the body was hidden inside the septic tank for the last 15 days, Asianet News reports. The accused also revealed that Manikandan was tied and beaten for many days over a property dispute, before he died.

Manikandan had earlier filed a complaint against his siblings and his father over a property dispute.

Police says that this was the main reason for the murder. Except for one of Manikandan’s brothers Krishnankutty, who had his wedding last week and is absconding, the other three brothers are now in police custody.

Manikandan’s partially decayed body has been taken to Palakkad district hospital for post-mortem.

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BJP ropes in national leaders to study Kerala political violence, eyeing long-term gains in the state?

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When the Bharatiya Janata Party opened its account in Kerala for the first time in the assembly elections held in May this year, the party identified a vote bank that was never explored in the past. 

In an attempt to retain its captive vote base, BJP is to launch a national-level campaign against the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government soon. 

The BJP would play this card on two grounds: the government's stand on religious matters including the entry on women to Sabarimala shrine and political violence that has become rampant in the state.

NJ Nair reports for The Hindu that through the national-level campaign, BJP aims at not attaining immediate short term gains, but to give a national perspective on the attacks on Sangh Parivar activists in Kerala. 

According to the report, Kerala BJP involving its national counterparts in studying political violence in Kerala can be seen as the first step. 

After an unidentified man threw a crude bomb at BJP state committee office in Thiruvananthapuram recently, the party had roped in national-level leaders to study the situation in Kerala, especially politically sensitive Kannur district. 

On Sunday, a five-member committee headed by BJP General Secretary Bhupendra Yadav toured Kerala and demanded a CBI probe or an inquiry headed by a high court judge. 

Though CPI (M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan is reported to have expressed willingness to hold unconditional dialogue for regaining peace in the state, the BJP maintains that the Chief Minister himself must take the lead. 

“Since the CPI(M) is in power, the onus is on them to retain peace and the Chief Minister should take the lead for preventing such incidents,” RSS State joint secretary M. Radhakrishnan told The Hindu. 

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‘I did not kill her, my friend Anar did,’ says accused in Jisha murder case

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When Ameerul Islam, the key accused in the rape and murder of 30-year-old Jisha from Perumbavoor was produced before the magistrate on June 30, he said that he does not have any complaints to raise.

However, days after the special investigation team submitted the chargesheet in the case naming him as the only accused, Ameerul has denied committing the crime.  

Read: Chargesheet filed in Jisha case, scientific evidence will nail Ameerul Islam says cop

“I did not kill her, my friend Anar did,” Ameerul said before the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court on Tuesday.

He made the statement while the court was considering his bail application. However, according to reports, the court maintained that as it was considering his bail plea, it did not record his statement. 

The court denied him bail, validating the prosecution's arguement that Ameerul might flee if he is granted bail. 

He has been booked under Sections 449, 376 and 302 of the IPC, Section 3(2)(V)of SC/ST (PA)Act 1989 and Section 3 (1) (w)(I and II) SC/ST (POA) Amendment act 2015. 

While being taken away from the court, Ameerul was asked by reporters about the whereabouts of Anar. 

"The police know where Anar is," Ameerul retorted. 

Ameerul's brother Badar-Ul Islam had on Sunday told media that his brother had no involvement in the crime. Saying that Ameerul did not even know Jisha before, he said that Ameerul's friend (Anar) was responsible for the murder. 

“Ameerul told me that his friend killed Jisha and that he did not have any part in it. Ameerul did not even know her. This friend had issues with Jisha’s mother and took Ameerul along with him to Jisha’s house. They were both under the influence of alcohol,” Badar told the media.

30-year-old law student Jisha was raped and brutally killed at her residence on April 28. Her murder had led to protests across the country, with anger spilling on to the streets of Kerala.

 

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