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* 4 deaths to be re-investigated * Special Correspondent * Justice Rajendra Babu Commission report placed in Assembly * THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Government has decided to re-investigate four custodial deaths that had occurred in the State last year. Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan announced this at a press conference here on Thursday, after placing on the table of the Legislative Assembly the report of Justice Rajendra Babu Commission, which inquired into 15 cases of custodial deaths reported since the Left Democratic Front (LDF) had come to power. Mr. Balakrishnan said the Crime Branch would investigate the death of Prasannan early last year in Mavelikara Sub Jail. The commission, in its report, had also said that the circumstances under which a person named Rajan had died in hospital while in police custody in Kozhikode warranted further investigation. This case too would be re-investigated. In two other custodial death cases also the commission had found prima facie grounds for detailed investigations: one involving the death of Anandraj in Thiruvananthapuram and the second involving the death of Milton in Kodungallur. The commission had recommended an inquiry by a district judge in Anandraj's case. Milton's death would be investigated by the Crime Branch, the Minister said. The families of nine of the 15 persons whose death in custody the commission had inquired into would receive compensations. The families of Rajan of Kozhikode and Milton of Kodungallur would be given a compensation of Rs.2lakh each and the family of Rajesh of Akkulam Rs.1 lakh. The families of Abdul Razaak (Panniyankara), Parameswaran (Palakkad), Prasannan (Mavelikara), Anandraj (Thiruvananthapuram), Jalaluddin (Tirur) and Pradeep Kumar (Attingal) would receive a compensation of Rs.30,000 each. Minor offences Describing the other actions taken on the basis of the commission's report, Mr. Balakrishnan said the Government had asked the Director General of Police to instruct the police force not to take into custody people for minor offences such as playing cards in public. According to Mr. Balakrishnan, the commission did not find the police indulging in third degree methods as a matter of habit while dealing with those in custody. In rare such cases, it was more because of "behavioural aberrations in individual policemen." The Minister also said that the Government would write to the High Court requesting that an instruction be sent to all magistrates to ensure that they record complaints of police brutality, if any, from those produced before them after being taken into custody. Mr. Balakrishnan said the Government would have the Jail Act amended shortly incorporating the suggestions mooted by the Justice Rajendra Babu Commission. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality." - Dr BR Ambedkar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
