Killers, criminals face no problems in Kerala: BJP leader V Muraleedharan

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 1 (PTI) Referring to the recent double murder in Palakkad and the death of a girl due to alleged sexual abuse, and attack in Ernakulam, BJP leader V Muraleedharan on Saturday charged that these incidents indicate that killers and criminals could exist without any problems in Kerala.

Muraleedharan, a former Union Minister of State, said that often the state government only comes out with interim measures which divert public attention from such incidents and don’t prevent them from recurring.

He said that such incidents were occurring more frequently in the state and hence people need to seriously introspect about what is going on.

Lakshmi (72) and her son Sudhakaran (53) were allegedly hacked to death in broad daylight outside their home in Nenmara in Palakkad district on Monday by their neighbour Chenthamara.

He allegedly did the crime while out on bail after being detained in prison in connection with the murder of Sudhakaran’s wife in 2019.

The other incident that the BJP leader referred to was the recent sexual abuse and brutal assault of a 19-year-old girl in Chottanikkara in Ernakulam district allegedly by her boyfriend who according to the police was a habitual offender.

The girl, who was found severely injured at her residence in Chottanikkara on Monday, was kept on ventilator support in a hospital and died on Friday.

Muraleedharan said that the girl was a POCSO case survivor and therefore, it was state’s duty to ensure her safety.

“Why the state could not fulfil its duty is a question that needs to be answered and it will help in preventing such incidents in the future,” he said.

He further said that the government and the political parties in the state claim that Kerala is safe and such crimes against women usually happen in other states.

“However, repeated instances of such crimes demand serious thought. The government should take strict measures to ensure such incidents are not repeated, as only then can we ensure the safety of our girl children,” the BJP leader said.