Strict action against cops if found guilty, says A K Balan

Thrissur: Some police officers still have a criminal mindset, but they will face the music,   Mr A.K. Balan, Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes,  has said. The minister,  who visited  the house of dalit youth Vinayakan at Engadiyur here on Monday,  said that a proper inquiry  should be held into the alleged police torture of Vinayakan at  Pavartty police station after he was taken into custody on July 17. The youth committed suicide in his house after he was released from custody.  

"Vinayakan’s  father  and the Dalit Human Rights Movement have given complaints to the government. The issue has been discussed with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and a letter was forwarded to the DGP.   A case was  registered under the SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act  and  handed over to the Crime Branch, he said. "The complaint of custodial torture will be inquired into and if proved right the cops involved will be punished,"  he told the family.

Vinayakan's father Krishnankutty said that they doubted the possibility of an  impartial investigation  and wanted the CBI to inquire into it. Mr  Kodikunnil Suresh, MP,  who visited the house of Vinayakan on Monday,  also demanded a CBI inquiry. He told reporters that the government should pay Rs1crore as compensation to the family. "The role of the SI  at Pavaratty station in the torture case  needs to be probed," he said.