ASI Murder – Political Manipulations Exposed

Chandy, BJP demand Central probe into ASI murder

Pioneer News Service | Kottayam

The BJP and Opposition leader Oommen Chandy have demanded a probe by a Central agency into the murder of MC Elias, Assistant Sub-Inspector, who was killed in action during a clash between SFI and ABVP workers at the NSS Hindu College, Changanassery on October 26 last year. Earlier, Elias wife Suja had also demanded a probe by Central agency.

The demand has come in the context of the witnesses, who were his colleagues, turning hostile. Suja said she had lost faith in the State police and so she wanted a Central agency to probe the killing.

The witnesses had, immediately after the incident, deposed that they had seen a group of ABVP activists beating the Sub-Inspector to death. The police had arrested four ABVP-BJP workers on the basis of the deposition. Those arrested were reportedly tortured in the most inhuman ways by the police.

However, the witnesses have now turned hostile and submitted that they had deposed so due to the special mental condition immediately after the gruesome incident.

Deputy Superintendent of Police PP Vijayan told the new investigating officers that he had understood the deposition of Elias’s colleagues ASI Mathew Thomas and Anthrayose wrongly.

The BJP had, immediately after the incident, said that the case against the four persons was false. The police had at first charged murder case against the four persons, it pointed out. However, as the post-mortem report had cited heart attack as the reason for Elias’s death, the deposition was changed under the instruction from Home Ministry as it was clear that the case would not stand the test of law, the leadership said.

The Assistant Sub-Inspector’s widow said political interventions had caused diversion in the case. She said that she would petition the National Human Rights Commission and other bodies.

She also aired suspicion that the post-mortem report could have been manipulated. Oommen Chandy also demanded a CBI probe into the killing of the police officer.

The BJP leadership, which alleged that the policemen had now turned hostile due to instructions from the Home Department, said a CBI investigation should be launched into the incident.

Elias was killed on the morning of October 26 last when he had reached the NSS Hindu College compound to end a violent clash between ABVP and SFI activists, which was nothing new at the particular college.

Elias in his effort to control the students was isolated from his colleagues and was trapped amidst a group of students, whose identity had now come under suspicion. It was said that he was killed after being struck on the cranium by a heavy rod.

Within half an hour of the incident, Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Director General of Police Raman Srivastava had announced in Thiruvananthapuram that the culprits behind the killing were ABVP-BJP activists, a statement promptly rejected by the BJP leadership.

About a dozen ABVP-BJP activists were taken into custody and case was charged against four of them. Some of the arrested had to be admitted to hospital after this allegedly due to the brutal torture by the police. Several political parties and rights organisations had described the announcement by the Minister and the DGP as most inappropriate.

In the context of the new deposition by Elias’s colleagues, the BJP leadership has demanded that the Government should pay adequate compensation to the four persons.

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