By Jisha Surya
08th June 2012 09:06 AM
Idukki: The T P Chandrasekharan murder may have got the state police force introspecting on the kind of police protection that he should’ve been given. For, there is a precedent to life threats faced by those who have fallen out with the CPM cadre.
During 2010, when V S Achuthanandan was the Chief Minister, two Congressmen in Udumbanchola were brought under police protection following two separate rulings by the High Court.
Babu Vattoli and Benny Thundathil, secretary and president of the Congress mandalam committee in Udumbanchola panchayat, secured orders from the High Court for police protection on May 28, 2010, and June 14, 2010, respectively after being attacked several times, allegedly by local CPM cadre.
According to Benny, it was his campaign against corruption in the then CPM-ruled Udumbanchola panchayat that invited the wrath of local CPM leaders, whereas it is the D-word - defection - that was the charge against
Babu, a former CPM area committee member. Police protection had to be extended to the entire family of Babu.
“With the support of local media, I brought several cases of corruption to public scrutiny. There were serious malpractices in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and EMS Housing Scheme. After many such issues were brought out, they threatened me. I was attacked thrice by known CPM men. My condition became critical in one such attack and I was in hospital for a month,” said Benny, currently a panchayat member in Udumbanchola.
Babu, on the other hand, was faced with the unenviable task of not only protecting himself but his family that was threatened with dire consequences after he left the party - a state of affairs that still continues.
08th June 2012 09:06 AM
Idukki: The T P Chandrasekharan murder may have got the state police force introspecting on the kind of police protection that he should’ve been given. For, there is a precedent to life threats faced by those who have fallen out with the CPM cadre.
During 2010, when V S Achuthanandan was the Chief Minister, two Congressmen in Udumbanchola were brought under police protection following two separate rulings by the High Court.
Babu Vattoli and Benny Thundathil, secretary and president of the Congress mandalam committee in Udumbanchola panchayat, secured orders from the High Court for police protection on May 28, 2010, and June 14, 2010, respectively after being attacked several times, allegedly by local CPM cadre.
According to Benny, it was his campaign against corruption in the then CPM-ruled Udumbanchola panchayat that invited the wrath of local CPM leaders, whereas it is the D-word - defection - that was the charge against
Babu, a former CPM area committee member. Police protection had to be extended to the entire family of Babu.
“With the support of local media, I brought several cases of corruption to public scrutiny. There were serious malpractices in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and EMS Housing Scheme. After many such issues were brought out, they threatened me. I was attacked thrice by known CPM men. My condition became critical in one such attack and I was in hospital for a month,” said Benny, currently a panchayat member in Udumbanchola.
Babu, on the other hand, was faced with the unenviable task of not only protecting himself but his family that was threatened with dire consequences after he left the party - a state of affairs that still continues.
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