I K Gujral, a quintessential old- school politician who rose to become Prime Minister heading a rickety coalition government in the late 1990s, died here Friday after a brief illness.
The 92-year-old left-leaning liberal breathed his last in a private hospital here at 3.27 PM after a multi-organ failure, family sources said. He was admitted to the hospital on November 19 with a lung infection.
The former Prime Minister, who was on ventilator support, was unwell for sometime. He was on dialysis for over a year and suffered a serious chest infection some days ago.
Gujral leaves two sons, one of whom Naresh Gujral is a Rajya Sabha MP and an Akali Dal leader, and brother Satish Gujral, who is a prominent painter and architect. His wife Sheila, who died in 2011, was a poet.
The body will be kept for public to pay respects at his residence in Janpath in central Delhi tomorrow morning and will cremated at 3 PM near Samata Sthal, the memorial of late Jagjivan Ram.
The news of his death was conveyed to Parliament by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde after which both the Houses adjourned. There will be a condolence references made to him on Monday.
Gujral had participated in underground activity in Punjab in his student days during freedom struggle and was in public service for decades.
An intellectual, he had propounded the 'Gujral Doctrine' of five principles for maintaining good neighbourly relations that became the hallmark of his policy of friendly relations with countries in South Asia.
President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Union Ministers and political leaders were among those who paid glowing tributes to the late leader.
"In his passing, the country has lost an intellectual, a scholar-statesman and a gentleman politician whose liberal and humanist vision was rooted in the teachings of the leaders of our freedom movement," the Prime Minister said in his message.
"I personally have lost a friend of long standing, whose wisdom, idealism and deep concern for social equity left a great impression on me and whose counsel and opinion I often sought and valued greatly," Singh said.
Gujral, who migrated from Pakistan after partition, rose to become the Prime Minister with a big slice of luck after he evolved from the grassroots -- starting as Vice President in NDMC in the '50s to later become a Union Minister under late Indira Gandhi and then India's Ambassador to the USSR.
He had left the Congress to join the Janata Dal in the late-1980s.
Gujral became External Affairs Minister in the V P Singh- led National Front government in 1989. As the External Affairs Minister, he handled the fallout of the Kuwait crisis following Iraqi invasion that displaced thousands of Indians.
He had a second stint as External Affairs Minister in the United Front government under H D Deve Gowda, whom he later replaced as Prime Minister after the Congress withdrew support in the summer of 1997.
He emerged as the consensus candidate after serious differences developed among the UF leaders including Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh and others as to who will become the Prime Minister.
It was another matter that his government survived only for a few months as Congress again became restive in the wake of Jain Commission report on Rajiv Gandhi's assassination and toppled the government.
Born on December 4, 1919 in Jhelum town now in Pakistan, Gujral belonged to a family of freedom fighters and had actively participated in the freedom struggle at a young age and was jailed in 1942 during the Quit India Movement.
Educated at DAV College, Haily College of Commerce and Forman Christian College, Lahore (now in Pakistan), Gujral took active part in student politics.
He became a member of the Rajya Sabha in April 1964 and was considered part of the 'coterie' that helped Indira Gandhi become Prime Minister in 1966.
Gujral was the Information and Broadcasting Minister when Emergency was imposed (on June 25, 1975), which brought in arbitrary press censorship, but was soon removed.
He was a Rajya Sabha Member twice between 1964 and 1976, a member of the Lok Sabha from 1989 to 1991. With Lalu Prasad's help, he became a member of Rajya Sabha in 1992 after his election from Patna Lok Sabha constituency was countermanded.
He was re-elected to Lok Sabha in 1998 from Jalandhar in Punjab as an independent with help from Akali Dal.
A controversial decision of his government was its recommendation for President's rule in Uttar Pradesh in 1997, which the then President K R Narayanan refused to sign and sent it back to the government for reconsideration.
The father, brother and an uncle of a 13 year-old girl from nearby Dharmadom in north Kerala's Kannur district have been arrested for allegedly raping the minor for the past two years.
The shocking incident came to light two days ago when the 8th standard student of a local school was seen crying and refused to go home even after school hours. When one of her teachers enquired, the petrified girl narrated her plight.
The school authorities immediately informed the police and a complaint was registered.
The girl's father, her 15-year-old brother and an uncle have been arrested, Thalassery circle inspector, MV Vinod Kumar, who is probing the case said.
The brother has been sent to juvenile home while the other two were produced in court and remanded to judicial custody.
The girl told police that she was sexually assaulted by the three since she was in her sixth standard.
According to Vinod Kumar, the victim has also told the police that her elder sister, who had committed suicide two years ago, had also been raped.
Meanwhile, Kerala vanitha commission chairperson, K Rosakutty told PTI that the incident was an 'insult' to Kerala's conscience. The commission would be writing to chief minister and home minister demanding re-inquiry into the case of the suicide of the victim's elder sister.
"This is a shocking case of two minor sisters being raped by family members. The elder sister, a standard 8 student, had committed suicide is the police version. But it needs to be probed as no proper inquiry was done then", she said, adding both the cases were related.
As uncertainty looms large about the victim's future, the commission was prepared to take her under its care, she said.
The victim has been presently housed at a home run by the child welfare committee. Efforts needs to be made to ensure that there were no interference in the case, she said.
Strongly condemning the incident, K Ajitha, president of "Anweshi", a women's organization, said anti-rape case clinics needs to be set up in the state as early as possible.
Kerala Rural Development Minister KC Joseph of the Congress on Monday severely criticized Union Minister Jairam Ramesh for his stand that Central funds for poverty-eradication programmes and women empowerment mission in the State would not be available to any organization other than the Kudumbasree self-help group.
“The Kerala Government is not a squatter at Union Ministers’ homes,” Joseph told newsmen in Kottayam referring to the Union Minister’s firm stand that funds for Centrally-sponsored programmes could not be provided any agency other than Kudumbasree, which, according to the Congress, had been hijacked by the CPI(M) despite its successful track record over the years.
Ramesh had the other day said that there could be several groups with the name “Sree” (referring indirectly to the Janasree Mission launched some time ago under Congress leadership) but Central funds would be given only to Kudumbasree, Kerala’s nodal agency for the National Rural Livelihood Mission.
Last month also, the Union Minister holding the Rural Development portfolio had clearly stated that the Centre would not allow replacement of Kudumbasree by any other organization. Coming at a time when the State Government was on a collision course with the CPI(M) over Kudumbasree, this statement had infuriated the Congress in Kerala.
“I don’t know who is (mis)leading Jairam Ramesh. There are about 40,000 self-help groups in the State. It would be good if all of them are getting funds... Kudumbasree is meant for women only. So what are we going to do with men’s self-help groups?” Joseph asked, adding that Ramesh’s stand could not be accepted.
In a veiled criticism against Kudumbasree for the kind of works it undertakes, Joseph said, “Development would not happen just by cutting the grass on or removing the dirt from the roadside. What we should be considering is how resources could be used to boost production. We should also think of how we can help dairy farmers.”
Responding to Joseph’s criticisms against Ramesh’s stand, CPI(M) central committee member and former Finance minister TM Thomas Isaac said that the Kerala Minister was trying to derail Centrally-sponsored schemes. This was being done to facilitate corruption, he alleged.
Kerala Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan on Monday said that the statement made by Union Minister Jairam Ramesh on Kudumbashree is true.
Union Minister Jairam Ramesh had taken a firm stand that the central funds for the state-level poverty eradication and women empowerment missions would be made available to Kudumbashree alone.
His strong support to Kudumbashree has disappointed sections in the state Congress who have been complaining that Kudumbashree has been hijacked by the CPI (M).
Responding to Ramesh’s stance, Rural Development Minister of Kerala K.C. Joseph on Monday said “The state government is not a squatter before residences of the central ministers.”
Marxist ideologue and former Chief Editor of Deshabhimani, P. Govinda Pillai passed away at KIMS Hospital here at around 11 pm on Thursday. He was 86. He was fondly called PG. A lively figure in the social, political, scientific, literary and intellectual fields of Kerala, Govinda Pillai was admitted to the hospital on November 14 following age-related diseases.
He was born on 25 March 1926 at Pulluvazhi village, Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district as the eldest son of M.N. Parameswaran Pillai and K. Parukuttyamma.
By the time PG joined for his pre-graduation course in the Union Christian College, Aluva, he had developed a serious interest in politics and social affairs. He joined Congress as a student worker and was in the forefront of the Quit India movement which rocked the country in 1941. He became formal member of Communist Party of India in 1946. PG actively participated in All India Student Federation’s activities in Mumbai and courted arrest.
G’s father sent him to the elite St Xavier’s College in Mumbai for graduation. His father’s dream was to see his eldest son as a barrister or an ICS officer and he had plans to send PG to London after his graduation. But after arriving in Mumbai he started associating with the CPI even as he had enrolled for BA (Hons) in Politics in the St Xaviers.
The CPI was banned during the time and at the time of university examinations, PG was inside the Arthur Road prison arrested in connection with certain agitations. Later he was moved to Yervada jail in Pune where his prison mates included Balraj Sahni who subsequently became a prominent cinema actor, Y S R Chari, a top lawyer later, S.S. Mirajkar et al. It was his first arrest and on his release after 16 months PG returned as per party instructions to Kerala without the university degree for which his father sent him to Mumbai.
The split in the party occurred in 1964 when PG was in Delhi and he stood with the CPI (M) even though his close relatives like M.N. Govindan Nair and P.K. Vasudevan Nair remained with the CPI.
He was elected as a member of Thiru-Kochi Assembly in 1954 and later as a member of the Kerala Assembly from 1967-69.
As a journalist, PG worked with New Age, CPI organ in New Delhi in 1954-55. He was the Editor of Peoples’ Publishing House, New Delhi during 1963-64. From 1964 to 1983, he served as Chief Editor of Desabhimani daily, a CPI (M) organ. He was the Kerala Press Academy Chairman from 1980 to ’83. He also served as Editorial Board Member at Chintha weekly during the 1990s.
PG was dropped from the CPI (M) State Committee in 1993 for his sensational interview published in Bhashaposhini in which he made some critical remarks on EMS and the party. He was also divested of his post as general editor of the Collected Works of EMS.
PG has written and spoken widely on the subject of fine arts and served as the Chairman of Kerala State Film Development Corporation and also as the founder Director of Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT).
His major works include Isangalkkappuram, Viplavaprathibha, Keralam: Oru adhakrtha Samsthanam, Sahithyavum Rashtriyavum, Marxist Soundarya Sasthram: Uthbhavavum Valarchayum, Viplavangalute Charitram, Sahityam: Purogathiyum Adhogathiyum, Poonthanam muthal Simon Vare, Charitrasaasthram; Puthiya Manangal, Bhagvad Gita-Bible-Marxism, Mahabharatham Muthal Marxism Vare, Mar Gregoriosinte Mathavum Marxisavum, Svathanthryathinte Sarvadesiyatha, Agolavalkkaranam, Samskaram, Madhyamam, Kerala navothanam: Mathacharyar, mathanishedhikal, Frederich Engels: Snigdhanaya sahakaari, varshtanaya viplavakari, EMSum Malayala Sahityavum, EMS: A Biography, Mulkraj muthal Pavanan vare.
He has won Sahitya Akademi Award, Swadesabhimani Award, Sankaranarayanan Thampi Award and Press Akademi Award.
PG was a major foreign affairs analyst on television as he used to anchor a popular weekly programme called ‘PG and World’ on the Kairali television channel besides being a regular face on other channels.
PG’s son M.G. Radhakrishnan and daughter R. Parvathi Devi are both journalists. M.G. Radhakrishnan is Special Correspondent at India Today in Thiruvananthapuram. R.Parvathy Devi is working as the Public Relations Officer of Kudumbasree Project in Thiruvananthapuram.
His son-in-law V. Sivan Kutty (Parvathy Devi’s husband) is a CPI (M) leader and legislator from Thiruvananthapuram East and daughter-in-law A. Jayshree is a scientist with the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre of the Indian Space Research Organization. He has three grandchildren: Govind Sivan, Tejaswini and Mukulika.
PG’s body was brought to his house at Perunthanny at 12.30 am. The body will be kept there till 12 noon and will be brought to VJT Hall at 4 pm on Friday for the public to pay homage. The body will be cremated with full state honours at Shantikavadam, Thycaud in Thiruvananthapuram at 4 pm on Friday.
6,293 Indians are currently languishing in foreign jails with the maximum of 1,691 being lodged in Saudi Arabia. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, said a total of 6,293 Indians are imprisoned in various countries.
He said 1,012 Indians are lodged in jails in United Arab Emirates followed by 441 in the US, 426 people in United Kingdom, 377 in neighbouring Nepal, 279 in Qatar and 225 in Kuwait.
The number of Indians lodged in Pakistani prisons is 224 while 114 people are languishing in jails in Australia, 167 in Bangladesh, 187 in Malaysia, 52 in Iran and 27 in Afghan prisons.
Indians are also lodged in jails in various other countries including Greece, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bhutan, Cyprus, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Lebanon, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Myanmar, Oman, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Khurshid said generally the offences for which Indians land in foreign jails include violation of visa rules such as overstay and illegal entry, non-possession of valid travel documents, economic offences and violation of employment contracts.
"However, there are also a few cases of grave offences like drug trafficking, theft, murder etc. committed by Indian nationals," he said.
The Minister said Indian Missions utilise the Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) to provide legal assistance in deserving cases.
Five days before the fourth anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the lone captured Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab was executed here on Wednesday morning. The news of Kasab’s hanging at Pune’s Yerwada Jail at 7.30 am came as some sort of closure for the kin of the victims of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist Kasab was hanged till death at the Yerwada Central Prison after telling jail officials that he had no last wish. The Pakistani national was buried inside the Yerwada Jail at 9.30 am, informed Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.
Confirming the execution, Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil said, “Today morning at 7.30 am terrorist Ajmal Kasab was hanged. At this moment we remember the martyrs.” Patil said that Kasab was hanged after following due legal procedure.
Doctors present in the jail also checked and confirmed that Ajmal Kasab had died.
Kasab's mercy plea was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee on November 5.
Chavan said that Kasab was shifted to Yerwada Jail from Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai two days back.
The government, rightly, maintained utmost secrecy over its plans considering the sensitivity of the issue.
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said Pakistan has been informed about Kasab’s execution via fax. The Indian High Commission in Islamabad had informed the Pakistani government about Kasab's hanging through letter but Islamabad refused to take the letter, Shinde added.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said the obligation of keeping Pakistan informed about the hanging was fulfilled.
Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, who appeared for police in the case, said the hanging is a "victory" for the country.
A group of Shiv Sena workers raised slogans 'Vande Mataram' slogans outside the Yerawada Jail hailing the hanging of Kasab and demanded that similar justice be meted out to Parliament attack case death row convict Afzal Guru.
Kasab had been lodged in the Arthur Jail Road in Mumbai ever since he was arrested immediately after the attack in November 2008. He was convicted and given capital punishment by the trial court on May 6, 2010 which was upheld by the Bombay High Court on February 21, 2011.
The Supreme Court subsequently upheld the sentence on August 29 this year.
Kasab and nine other gunmen entered Mumbai by boat on November 26, 2008. Carrying mobile phones, hand grenades and automatic weapons, they fanned out across Mumbai targeting luxury hotels Taj Mahal and Oberoi Trident, a Jewish centre Chabad House and the city's main train station Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST).
While nine of the terrorists were shot dead, Kasab was captured alive. The November 26-29, 2008 terror siege had claimed 166 lives.
Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the central government for being 'casual' in handling 2G spectrum case before it. Justice Singhvi said that the top most priority of the apex court is to ensure compliance of its February 2012 order by the Department of Telecommunication (DoT).
The Supreme Court slammed the government for not auctioning 32% of the spectrum vacated as a result of 122 licenses being cancelled in February. The court's question assumes significance, given that the 2G spectrum auction last week was a damp squib.
Justice Singhvi went on to say that when government was seeking time; it should have informed the Supreme Court that only a part of the spectrum will be auctioned. Singhvi said that it is unfair on the part of the government to not represent facts correctly.
Refusing to accept the government's affidavit filed by an undersecretary-level officer in the 2G case, SC directed centre to submit one within two days. The submission must happen by the DoT secretary, the court said.
Ticking off the Government for being "very casual" in handling the 2G case, the Supreme Court today said withholding of even 0.1 per cent of spectrum, licenses for which were cancelled, will not be acceptable.
A bench of justices G S Singhvi and K S Radhakrishanan also directed the Centre to file a fresh affidavit within two days explaining why all the 2G spectrum was not put on auction on November 12.
Government is very casual in dealing with the matter," the bench said while turning down an affidavit filed by an Under Secretary-level officer on the matter and directed that it must be filed by Secretary of Department of Telecom.
"This affidavit cannot be accepted. It has been filed by Under Secretary officer. Our earlier order clearly said that affidavit must be filed by Secretary-level officer. This is a deliberate action on the part of DoT," the bench said.
"On earlier occasion the court had unequivocally rejected affidavit filed by an Under Secretary. It is unfortunate that the same mistake has been done again. Needful should be done within two days," it said.
The court said that it would hear Centre's stand on auction on Monday but made it clear that withholding of spectrum from being auctioned would not be acceptable.
"Keep in mind that withholding of spectrum, even 0.1 per cent would not be acceptable," the bench said adding that it was never told earlier that the entire 2G spectrum would not be put on auction.
"At no point of time this court was informed that the auction was only for 800 and 1800 MHz band," the bench observed.
It was contended before the court that government has not complied with the apex court's direction and it has withheld 136 MHz spectrum out of 431 MHz in 1800 band.
The apex court had on February 2 cancelled 122 licenses for 2G spectrum and directed the government to allocate the natural resource by auction.
The government had received on November 12 bids worth Rs 9,224.75 crore on the opening day of auction for 2G mobile phone spectrum that drew scant interest due to high base price. The government was hoping to net a minimum revenue of Rs 28,000 crore in the auction.
There was no bidder for pan-India airwaves for which the government had set a base or bid start price of Rs 14,000 crore. Demand was concentrated in select circles like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh (East) and Uttar Pradesh (West).
Government have revised the Dearness Allowance 45% ( 7 % ) to State Government Employees,Teachers etc and Dearness Relief to Pensioners at central rates with effect from 01/07/2012.The D.A at the revised rates will be paid in cash with the salary due for the month of December, 2012 onwards.The arrear for the period from Ol.O7.2Ol2 to 30.11.2012 will be drawn and credited to the PF account of the employee along with the
salary bill for any of the months from December 2Ol2 to June 2013.
For details please click the side link DA 45 % G.O.(PlNo. 614/2o12lFin dt 08.11.2012
R Balakrishna Pillai, Kerala Congress (B) leader staged a dharna in front of the Pathanapuram police station here Sunday alleging that one of his party's workers here was trapped in a police case. He said party local leader Aziz was arrested in connection with fixing of party flex boards and collection of party funds in connection with the inauguration of the party's local office here. He also alleged that his son and state minister K B Ganesh Kumar was acting against the party workers due to various political reasons.
Police registered false cases against many party workers recently following instruction from Ganesh Kumar, and this issue was brought into the notice of Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, he said. A written complaint in this regard was also given to the Home Minister, he added. Following the protest, Aziz was released from the police custody. Tension also prevailed in front of the police station when the supporters of both Balakrishna Pillai and Ganesh Kumar staged protest marches.
Union Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday joined those gunning for Oommen Chandy over the “lack of performance’’ of the UDF Govt.
He has also surprised political circles by heaping praise on the previous Achuthanandan Govt for its role in setting up defence industries in the state.
He said that he does not know who has to be blamed for the state of affairs of the defence projects in the state. “Ministership can go at any time. During the time of the LDF Government, I had only decided on a few projects. The rest of it was taken care of by the then government. I received unstinted support during the tenure of the government from 2007-2011. Whenever I see Oommen Chandy and Kunhalikutty I remind them about the need for new projects,” he said.
He said he had derived wholehearted support from the then Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and the then Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem in bringing defence projects to the state but the scenario was different now.“The situation in the state for the past one-and-a- half years has not been so productive,” he stated.
He was speaking after inaugurating the Missile Integration Complex at BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd.
Expressing his strong displeasure in the presence of Oommen Chandy, Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty and others, including Elamaram Kareem, Antony also said he lacks the courage to bring in new projects to the state now.
“Till 2011, six defence establishments were set up in the state during the tenure of the LDF Govt. But for the past two years, I’ve not done any home work for a new project. In fact, I now lack the courage to do anything owing to the existing scenario,’’ Antony said.
“Oommen Chandy is a good friend of mine. But I don’t have the courage to think about new projects in the state,” he said.
“There are many blocks. They have to be removed. If there is none to argue for me, why should I take the pain,’’ he asked in an apparent reference to trade unions, including the INTUC, turning their ire on him on various issues related to the ambitious Brahmos Aerospace.
“Without your guarantee, on what basis I should try for central projects in the state,” he asked.
Patting the former V S Achuthanadan government for its support for defence projects, Antony said in a lighter vein that had he been a language wizard, he would have hailed that government much more.
Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor, state ministers Shibu Baby John and V S Sivakumar and Mayor K Chandrika were also present.
Soon after Antony’s barrage, George Mercier, ex-MLA and president of the INTUC unit in BrahMos Aerospace, which was in the forefront of a united agitation with leftist TUs against the management and which boycotted the function, resigned from the post.
The management had drawn flak for barring the media from covering the function.
Seizing on the sharp criticism by Defence Minister A K Antony of Congress-led UDF government in Kerala, CPM stalwart V S Achuthanandan Thursday taunted Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, asking him to introspect whether he should remain in office after getting such a "certificate" from his senior colleague.
Targeting the Chandy government at a function at the BrahMos unit here Wednesday, Antony had regretted the atmosphere in the state was not conducive for bringing defence sector projects.
Causing deep embarrassment to Chandy and Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty, who were present, Antony went on to say the situation was much better during previous LDF government, headed by Achuthanandan, and he had received total support from it in his endeavour to bring several projects to Kerala.
UDF Convener P P Thankachan, however, sought to play down Antony's comments arguing what the senior leader had in mind was concern about trade union activities in defence production units.
In his usual acerbic tongue, Achuthanandan asked Chandy whether he would remain in office after the critical comments from his party senior.
"This certificate has come from a person who is occupying the second slot in the Union Cabinet. Would Chandy display that around his neck and continue in office? Let him decide," the former state chief minister told reporters here.
Antony's remarks were interpreted by political circles and the local media as a clear expression of displeasure at the way ruling UDF had been conducting the state's affairs in the last one and half years.
Thankachan, however, said much politics need not be read into Antony's remarks as he could be referring to the trade union troubles at the BrahMos unit in Kerala capital.
The unions at BrahMos, including those affilated to pro-Congress INTUC, had been at loggerheads with the management of BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd.
The Indo-Russion missile production unit was set up here in 1998 after the central take over of a loss-making state enterprise.
A special investigation team re-probing the political murders in Idukki has issued a notice to CPM leader M M Mani to present himself for a polygraph test at the Forensic Science Laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram within 10 days.
The notice was issued on Sunday in connection with the Anchery Baby murder case. Besides Mani, notices were also issued to three others, O G Madanan, M K Damodaran and Kuttan.
Head of the investigation team and inspector-general of police (Kochi range) K Padmakumar said the polygraph test was necessary for gathering vital information in the case.
The SIT decided to go for polygraph tests after the accused had denied role in Baby's murder. Baby, then a 28-year-old INTUC worker, was murdered on November 13, 1982.
"They need to undergo the tests. If they refuse, police will opt for all legally available means to get the tests done," police sources said.
Cases were registered against former secretary of CPM's Idukki unit Mani and others for allegedly abetting political murders in that district during the 1980.
Mani, in a sensational speech in Thodupuzha on May 26, had listed out the murders, saying one was shot dead, another beaten to death, and a third person fatally stabbed. All three deceased were CPM's political opponents.
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M M Mani said that he will accept investigating officials notice to appear for the polygraph test in connection with Ancheri Baby murder case, tomorrow. He said that a decision on further proceedings will be taken after discussing with legal experts.
Apart from Mani, notice will be sent to Udumbanchola native Kainakari Kuttan, O G Madanan and A K Damodaran.
The Kerala High Court today issued notices to the Union and state governments on a plea seeking a direction to them to take necessary steps to facilitate completion of Kochi Metro Rail project by DMRC within a stipulated time.
The petitioner, Balachandran, who had filed a plea earlier, had withdrawn it after the court observed that unnecessary statements in the petition should be avoided.
When the fresh petition came up before a division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice A M Shaffique, they admitted it and ordered issue of notices.
According to the petitioner, DMRC Chairman Sudhir Krishna is also the KMRL chairman. Officials who are holding important posts in DMRC are directors of KMRL as well.
Virtually both the organisations are one and under the central government, he contended.
During the consideration of the earlier petition, Advocate General K P Dandapani had said there were 'unfounded' allegations which should be removed, following which the petition was withdrawn.
