Tag: Kerala

Kerala train arson case: Accused Sharukh Saifi sent to 14-day judicial custody

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Kozhikode: Kerala train arson accused Shahrukh Saifi was on Friday remanded to 14-day judicial custody.
The order was issued by Kozhikode Judicial First Class Magistrate, who reached the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital, where the accused, Saifi, was undergoing treatment on Friday morning, to complete the process of remand.
“City Police Commissioner Rajpal Meena and Munsiff Magistrate arrived at the hospital and the accused has been awarded 14 days of judicial custody,” officials said.

Saifi was brought to Kozhikode Medical College for medical examination on Thursday morning and was admitted there.
According to officials, taking into account the health problems of the accused, the magistrate court transferred the proceedings to the hospital.
Judicial First Class Magistrate Manish physically came to the Medical College for proceedings. After speaking to the accused at the Medical College, Magistrate proceeded to remand him.
They said that the accused will continue to remain in medical treatment at Kozhikode Govt Medical College Hospital.
“A decision on whether to send the accused to police custody will be taken after the fitness of the accused is re-examined. If the court refuses to send the accused in custody, the detailed questioning of the accused will be delayed,” they said.

Sharukh Saifi was detained in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri on Tuesday night by the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra police with the help of the National Investigation Agency(NIA).
On Tuesday, he was handed over to Kerala police.
The arrest was made based on a sketch released by the kerala police on information provided by an eyewitness.
The Maharashtra police had said he confessed to the crime. Saifi is a resident of the Shaheen Bagh in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar.
A team from Kerala police visited Saifi’s residence. Kerala police formed a special investigation team to probe the incident.
The attack happened on a moving Alappuzha Kannur executive express on Sunday night.
Three people were killed in the attack including an infant and a woman and around 10 were injured.
The investigations so far indicated that Saifi was radicalised online. Handwritten notes were also found in which he allegedly said, “Let’s do it”.
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#Kerala #train #arson #case #Accused #Sharukh #Saifi #14day #judicial #custody
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 7, 2023
NCERT’s revision of textbooks part of ‘saffronisation’ agenda: Kerala CM

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Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday strongly condemned the dropping of certain chapters and portions from NCERT class 12 textbooks and alleged that “complete saffronisation” of academic books was the objective behind the move.
Historical facts cannot be denied by just cutting out portions that are inconvenient (to some one) from textbooks, he said in a Facebook post.
Excluding certain portions and chapters from the textbooks with a political motive was not only a negation of history but also a condemnable move. It is evident that the objective behind such actions is the “complete saffronisation of textbooks”, the CM added.

In the hard-hitting post, Vijayan said it was clear whose interest was being served by the omission of portions about the assassination of the ‘Father of the Nation’ Mahatma Gandhi and the subsequent banning of the RSS, from the political science textbook of class 12.
Portions about the Mughal Empire were also cut down from the history textbook of the same class, he pointed out.
“The medieval history of India, excluding the Mughal Empire, is incomplete,” he said, alleging that medieval Indian history had always been an area that the Sangh Parivar had twisted and distorted.
The Kerala CM accused the NCERT of “whitewashing the fake history” created by the Sangh Parivar by excluding these portions.
The Sangh Parivar, through the textbooks, was trying to inculcate the politics of hatred and division into the minds of children, the Marxist veteran further charged.

Accusing the NCERT of supporting the distorted methodology of the RSS in writing history, Vijayan said strong protest needs to be registered against such moves which would otherwise undermine the secular education envisaged by the Constitution.
The NCERT recently dropped from its class 12 history textbook certain portions on Mahatma Gandhi and how his pursuit of Hindu-Muslim unity “provoked Hindu extremists”. It also left out the portion where the government had placed a ban on the RSS after Gandhi’s assassination. The revision of textbooks by obfuscating facts has triggered a row.
“Gandhiji’s death had a magical effect on communal situation in the country”, “Gandhi’s pursuit of Hindu-Muslim unity provoked Hindu extremists” and “Organisations like RSS were banned for some time” are among the portions deleted from the textbook.
Portions referring to the Gujarat riots have also been dropped from the class 11 sociology textbook, months after NCERT removed the reference to the 2002 communal violence in two class 12 textbooks.
The Congress has accused the Centre of “whitewashing” and “distorting” history.
NCERT Chief Dinesh Saklani said the syllabus was “rationalised” in June last year itself, and there has been no trimming of the curriculum this year.
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#NCERTs #revision #textbooks #part #saffronisation #agenda #Kerala
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 7, 2023
Kerala stops religious discourse in jails, Christian group upset

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Thiruvananthapuram: An order by the Kerala Jails Department stopping all religious discourses in the jails for the benefit of the prisoners has drawn the ire of a Christian group.
The order, issued a few days back, said there will be no more permission granted to conduct religious discourses which saw priests from all the religions arriving in the jails to interact with the prisoners.
George Sebastian, an office bearer of the Assembly of Christian Trust Services (ACTS), a body of all Christian churches and prayer groups, deplored that such an order has come when the Passion Week (the Aweek leading to Easter Sunday is presently on.

“The order bans all such interactions with the prisoners and no religious leaders will now be allowed entry to the jails. What has pained us is this has happened during the Passion Week, a holy time for all Christians. The leaders of ACTS will soon be meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to see that this practise should not be discontinued as this interaction definitely is a way for the prisoners’ redemption,” he said.
Incidentally, this practice of leaders from various religions interacting with the prisoners for a fixed time a few days every month was there for long and now the top officials of the Kerala Police are tight-lipped on why it has been stopped. The buzz is that motivational speakers might be allowed.
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#Kerala #stops #religious #discourse #jails #Christian #group #upset

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 5, 2023
Vijay Deverakonda opts for boat ride to work in Kerala

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Hyderabad: Actor Vijay Deverakonda has found himself a new, unique ride to work. Currently, the superstar is in Kerala and is enjoying every bit of the serene locations in the state. The stylish actor is also busy shooting for an upcoming project.
Taking to social media, Vijay Deverakonda shared a video of himself relishing the charm of Kerala as he opts for a boat ride to work. This unique ride to work has his comment section buzzing with fans commenting. Posting a video of himself in a Khaki orange shirt, with glasses on, the actor writes “Ride To Work- In Kerala.”
Meanwhile, on the work front, Vijay has grabbed some great deals in the brand world. Apart from this, he will be seen in ‘Khushi’ and the other two untitled projects, one being ‘VD12’ and the other one with ‘Geetha Govindam’ director.

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#Vijay #Deverakonda #opts #boat #ride #work #Kerala
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 5, 2023
Kerala HC seeks police’s stand on Asianet plea claiming harassment by the force

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Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday sought the stand of the police on a plea by prominent Malayalam news channel Asianet, which has alleged harassment by the force in connection with some anti-drug use news it had telecasted.
Justice N Nagaresh, after a preliminary hearing of the matter, directed the State police chief and other officials to inform the court about their stand regarding the allegations made in the petition of the channel.
The court also asked the news channel to file a separate affidavit regarding the harassment allegedly faced by it the police after it filed the petition last Friday.

Asianet, in its plea, has alleged that the news organisation and its employees were being harassed for having launched a campaign against drug abuse in the state, particularly among children.
It has alleged that the police was “acting in accordance with their political masters” and its employees “are being harassed, ill-treated and humiliated” by the force despite the court’s earlier orders to provide protection to the channel’s offices.
In its plea, it has said that after noticing the alarming spike in drug use among children, it decided to conduct a study and research on the issue, following which it published an interview with a victim of drug abuse.
Thereafter, in November last year, it began a campaign, ‘Narcotics is a dirty business’, coinciding with the state government’s efforts to fight drug abuse in Kerala, the petition has claimed.
As part of its news series on the issue, “one of the earlier news stories regarding drug abuse by children was revisited using file shots,” it has said.

“Pursuant to the telecast of the series against the abuse of narcotic drugs, on March 3 a group of nearly 30 SFI activists violently and forcefully trespassed into the office and studio floor of the news channel’s Kochi regional office, shouting slogans, and intimidated the staff..,” it has further claimed.
A case was registered by police against identifiable SFI activists and some were arrested and released on bail, it has said.
Subsequently, Asianet had moved the High Court seeking protection against any violent attack, the petition has said.
The court had on March 8 directed the police to provide adequate protection to offices of Asianet.
Regarding the SFI’s trespassing into Asianet’s Kochi office, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said in the State Assembly that the pro-left student wing had organised a protest march to the channel’s office against the making of an allegedly fake video using a minor girl.
The video content amounted to spreading the misapprehension that government schools in the state were in the grip of drugs, the CM had said.
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#Kerala #seeks #polices #stand #Asianet #plea #claiming #harassment #force
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 4, 2023
Murder of tribal man: Kerala special court convicts 13 people for

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Palakkad: A special court in Kerala on Tuesday convicted 13 people for beating to death a tribal man in Palakkad district of the state for allegedly stealing food articles in 2018.
Madhu, a tribal man from Attappady, was beaten to death after he was caught and tied up by a group of local people alleging theft on February 22, 2018.
More than five years after the incident, special court judge K M Ratheesh Kumar convicted them for the offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 Part II of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years jail term, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Rajesh M Menon told reporters.

The jail terms to be served by the convicts would be pronounced on Wednesday, the SPP said.
He also said that of the 13, the first accused was convicted for the offence under Section 304 II of IPC and the remaining 12 were additionally held guilty for the crimes under Section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 367 (kidnapping or abducting in order to subject person to griev ous hurt, slavery) of the IPC.
Sections 326 and 367 carry maximum punishments of life imprisonment and up to 10 years jail term, respectively.
The 12 convicts were also held guilty for the offence under Section 3(1)(d) of the SC/ST Act, the SPP said.
The 16th accused in the case was only held guilty for the offence of assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation under Section 352 IPC which carries a punishment which may extend to three months or a fine which may extend to Rs 500 or both, he said.

The SPP said the court was of the view that the accused did not have the intention to kill the tribal man.
Of the 16 persons, the remaining two accused were acquitted by the court.
SPP Menon said the court did not find the accused guilty of murder and the reasons for the same would be evident after the judgement copy is made available.
Madhu’s mother said she was not satisfied with the verdict, especially the acquittal of the two accused and none of the 16 being convicted for murder. “I will appeal against this verdict,” she told reporters outside the court.
The victim’s sister said she was thankful to the court for convicting 14 of the 16 accused.
The sister also said she was happy with the outcome as no one thought they could carry their fight for justice to Madhu so long and till this stage.
“So, I will no longer be disappointed or sad. I know I can take this matter all the way to the Supreme Court, if required. We will go in appeal seeking murder charges and against the acquittal of the two accused.
“I do not believe that my brother has got justice. He will not get justice till all of them (all 16 accused) are convicted,” she said outside the court.
The special court had reserved its judgement in the case on March 30.
Prior to the pronouncement of the verdict, the victim’s mother and sister said they expected that Madhu will get justice. “We expect a good verdict,” the victim’s mother said.
His sister said: “I believe my brother will get justice. We expect it to be a good verdict.”
The trial in the matter saw witnesses turning hostile, allegations of threats to the victim’s family to settle or withdraw the case and a change in the SPP in June last year.
Advocate Menon, who was the additional public prosecutor in the case, took charge as SPP in June last year after the victim’s family sought a change in prosecutor.
He was the fourth SPP in the case.
According to the post-mortem report in the case, Madhu had injuries on the head and bruises all over the body, including broken ribs, as well as internal bleeding, police had said.
Madhu, who was said to be mentally unsound, was living in a cave in the forest for the past several months, his family had said.
His mother and sister had told television channels back in 2018 that a group of nearly 10-15 persons had gone to the forest and thrashed him for allegedly stealing food articles from some shops in the forest-fringe Agali town of Palakkad district.
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#Murder #tribal #man #Kerala #special #court #convicts #people
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 4, 2023
Full bench of Kerala Lokayukta to look into case of CMDRF funds ‘misuse’ by CM

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Thiruvananthapuram: After facing flak on the decision by its two-member bench to refer the verdict in a case of alleged misuse of Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to a larger bench, there were indications on Monday that the full bench (three members) of the Kerala Lok Ayukta will start proceedings from April 12.
The Congress and the BJP on Friday questioned the credibility of the Kerala Lokayukta, which referred the case to a larger bench.
It was after an year that the two-member bench of the Lokayukta, that had completed all its hearings in the case, gave its verdict on last Friday and this long delay came under fire.

It was also noted that had the petitioner not approached the Kerala High Court seeking its intervention, maybe the verdict could have been even more delayed.
Now all eyes are on April 12 and according to sources in the know of things, the full bench is likely to hear the case from the start and will also look into the issue if the Lokayukta is competent enough to take up the case involving a decision of the state cabinet.
Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan has already pointed out that the decision to refer to the full bench is nothing but questioning the credibility of the Lokayukta institution as the Lokayukta in 2019 had made it clear that the petition is valid and now again it is going to be sent to a full bench. “It is strange,” he said.
Public activist R.S. Sasikumar had filed the case in 2018, alleging misuse of the funds in the CMDRF.
He had alleged that the money was given to those who were not eligible for the relief, including the family of a deceased CPI-M legislator, the family of a top leader from a Left ally who passed away, and also to a Kerala Police officer who died when his vehicle met with an accident while accompanying then top CPI-M leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

The plea to the anti-corruption ombudsman was filed by Sasikumar in September 2018 and the hearing ended on March 18, 2022. Since then till last Friday, the verdict was kept pending.
All this comes at a time when Governor Arif Mohammed Khan continues to sit on the Bill that tweaked the powers of the Kerala Lokayukta.
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#Full #bench #Kerala #Lokayukta #case #CMDRF #funds #misuse
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 3, 2023
Kerala train fire incident: 3 bodies found on railway track, police hunt for suspect

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Kozhikode: Three people including an infant were found dead on the railway track near Elathur in Kozhikode district of Kerala on Sunday night, following an incident where a man allegedly poured petrol on co-passengers and set fire on one of them resulting in burn injuries to at least eight other persons, railway officials said on Monday.
According to the officials, the man set fire to a passenger allegedly after an argument on board the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train near Elathur in Kozhikode district on Sunday night.
The suspect, who is yet to be identified, escaped after passengers pulled the emergency chain.

“Mattannoor native Rahmath, her sister’s two-year-old daughter and Noufal were found dead near the railway track,” said an official from the Railway Protection Force (RPF).
Forensic experts have reached the spot and a police investigation is underway.
According to railway sources, the incident took place in the D1 coach of the Alappuzha Kannur Main Executive Express train around 10:00 pm on April 2.
Reportedly, there was an argument during which a man poured petrol and set on fire one of his co-passengers. Other passengers who attempted to douse the fire ended up with burn injuries.
Those injured included three women.
“Anilkumar from Thalasseri, his wife Sajisha, their son Advait, Ruby from Kannur and Prince from Thrissur, are among the passengers who were injured,” sources said.

The train was halted at Elathur, and railways authorities were informed about the incident.
“All eight passengers with burn injuries have been shifted to hospital and after necessary inspection, the train was dispatched to its destination,” Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials said.
Further details are awaited.
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#Kerala #train #fire #incident #bodies #railway #track #police #hunt #suspect
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 3, 2023
Eight injured after man sets woman on fire in Kerala train

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Thiruvananthapuram: Eight people were injured when a man allegedly poured petrol on a woman and set her on fire in a moving train in Kerala’s Kozhikode district on Sunday, before jumping off and escaping, police said.
Five seriously injured were admitted at Kozhikode government medical college and three others with minor burn injuries are admitted at the Baby Memorial Hospital, Kozhikode.
According to doctors at the casualty ward at the medical college, the condition of two women is serious.

The Executive Express from Alappuzha to Kannur had left Kozhikode central station and was on Elathur bridge when the incident occurred.
Passengers in the train told IANS that the shocking incident happened in D1 bogey, when the accused, who was wearing a red shirt, poured petrol on the woman after there was a confrontation between him and other people including her, and set her on fire.
A passenger, identified as Gireesh, said: “A person poured petrol on a woman and set her alight. People tried to save her and some of them injured. There was a major commotion in the train and people ran into other compartments.”
At least four people were injured when they tried to save her, while the accused jumped from the train and made good his escape.

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#injured #man #sets #woman #fire #Kerala #train
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 3, 2023
Battle royale in the offing between Swapna Suresh and Kerala CPI-M Secy

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Thiruvananthapuram: A legal battle royale is in the offing as both the parties in the standoff — the prime accused in the gold smuggling case Swapna Suresh and CPI-M Kerala secretary M.V. Govindan — have decided to stick to their respective stands stand.
It all began when Govindan sent a Rs 1 crore defamation notice to Suresh, who reacted immediately by saying that she will not apologise to Govindan.
On Saturday, Govindan made it clear that he will go forward with the case as what Suresh did was not right.

What irked Govindan was her reported statement which was conveyed through Vijesh Pillai, who according to Suresh met her under guise to do a web series.
Suresh reportedly said that Pillai threatened her stating that Govindan has said he will eliminate her if she does not withdraw all the allegations levelled against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family members by accepting Rs 30 crore, in which case they will help her move to Malaysia.
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#Battle #royale #offing #Swapna #Suresh #Kerala #CPIM #Secy

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 1, 2023