Thiruvananthapuram: The police have begun adopting tough measures against goons and criminals in the State in the backdrop of Alappuzha twin murders. Kerala Police Chief DGP (Law and Order) Anil Kant has given a directive to the police to prepare a district-wise list of goons and those who have been already embroiled in criminal cases, supporting various communal organisations.
The DGP also directed the police to immediately arrest those accused who are hiding and those accused who are on warrant. The police are also asked to ascertain whether those who were out on bail are strictly following bail conditions. Those who are found to be violating bail conditions will be rearrested and remanded.
It was reported by Malayala Manorama the other day that the state intelligence department has identified a total number of 4,500 goons in the State and out of which 1,300 are actively pursuing criminal activities.
The DGP asked the ADGP (Law and Order) and IGs to give weekly reports about the actions taken on the basis of the new guidelines issued by the DGP.
The DGP said that those who were directly involved in the Alappuzha murders, those who hatched conspiracy and those who helped the accused by supplying vehicles, arms and phones would be arrested in the coming days. A detailed probe should be made into the source of money received by the criminals for carrying out such activities.
Admins to be made accused
Meanwhile, Anil Kant also directed district police chiefs to take stringent action against those spreading fake news and false message through social media and book the administrators of such platforms who allow discussion on them.
It has been noticed that several messages, inciting communal hatred, are being circulated through social media after the murders of the BJP functionary Ranjith Sreenivas and SDPI's K S Shan earlier this week, Kant said in a statement.
"The admins of social media groups who permit discussions (inciting communal hatred) will be booked. The cyber wing of the state police has been asked to intensify its surveillance in all districts to check such propaganda," he said.
Police on Thursday made it clear that as many as 30 cases had been registered across the state in the last five days against some people for spreading provocative messages through social media platforms in a manner that incites communal hatred.
One person was arrested in a case registered by the West Police in Kollam district in this regard, an official statement said.
Shan, the state secretary of SDPI, was killed by a gang on Saturday night while he was on his way home in Alappuzha, while the BJP OBC Morcha state secretary Sreenivas was hacked to death in front of his family by some assailants in his house on Sunday morning in the same district.
Meanwhile, ADGP (Law and Order) Vijay Sakhare, who is heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the two separate cases, said as all those directly involved in the crime had managed to escape outside the state, Kerala police has sought assistance from their counterparts in the neighbouring states to nab them.
Not only those took part in the larger conspiracy of the murders but also those who provided the killers any kind of help would be booked for conspiracy, he said.
"We cannot divulge the details like in which states they are hiding. Wherever they go, we will chase and catch them. Cyber investigation has also intensified in this regard," Sakhare told reporters in Alappuzha.
Saji Cheriyan visits victims' homes
Amidst criticism from opposition parties about the alleged breakdown of law and order situation, State Minister for Fisheries and Cinema, Saji Cheriyan visited the houses of Sreenivas and Shan on Friday.
"Real culprits and the perpetrators, involved in the murders, will be booked by the police. That's the government's stand also. All those directly involved in the crime have been identified. Several persons have been arrested and remanded. There is no need for any concern in this regard," he told reporters after visiting Sreenivas's house.
Strongly condemning the murders, he said it was an example of sheer "communal madness".
The back-to-back murders were the proof for the existence of trained extreme mindsets who deliberately try to create communal hatred in the society.
"These communal and extremist forces should be rooted out completely from the state," the minister added.
