Convulsion in CPI(M) on eve of State meet

Alleppey: The State CPI(M) appeared to be facing an explosive situation on eve of the party State conference beginning here on Friday with the party State secretariat publicly accusing party veteran V.S. Achuthanandan of indiscipline and factionalism and the latter hitting back in equal measure stating he was dismissing the charge ‘with contempt.’

The party State leadership and Mr. Achuthanandan found themselves on a collision course when the CPI(M) State secretariat came out with a resolution accusing Mr. Achuthanandan of having leaked the contents of a letter he had sent to the State committee to the media and accusing him of persistent indiscipline and factional positions.

Reacting to CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan’s news conference on the subject, Mr. Achuthanandan hit back saying it was against the Central committee decision forbidding action on any party member on the eve of a conference. He had written his letter to the Polit Bureau and would rather discuss the issue with the Polit Bureau members, Mr. Achuthanandan said. In the resolution, answering each point raised by Mr. Achuthanandan in his letter, the CPI(M) State secretariat said the State committee had discussed the letter and rejected it at its meeting on February 9 and 10. A newspaper published the letter on February 18.

“This shows that V.S. Achuthanandan is not giving up his indiscipline…This document shows that raising of allegations with factional objectives continues. The party had clarified its position on the T.P. Chandrasekharan murder earlier (when) VS made public statements at variance with the common stand of the party. VS has sunk to a state of mind where he continues to hold the same position and accuses the party of fascist attitude,” the resolution said.

On the LDF’s defeat in the last Assembly elections, the resolution said the party had not arrived at the conclusion that the defeat was on account of faulty candidate selection.

On the solar stir, it said the decision to withdraw the stir was taken collectively with the involvement of all parties and leaders, including Mr. Achuthanandan.

Nisham's relative tries to meet public prosecutor

Thrissur: Even as the case involving Muhammed Nisham, who has been detained by the police for murdering a security personnel, is under the consideration of the District Sessions Court, his father's brother is said to have paid a visit to the District Public Prosecutor's office.

The court, which was to hear a bail plea by Nisham, put off the hearing after Chandra Bose, the security guard who was attacked by Nisham, died due to injuries on that day. Following the death of the victim, the prosecution argued strongly that the accused should not be granted bail.

District Prosecutor K.B.Ranendranath said that he was approached by Nisham's relative while he was leaving for the court, but he did not respond to the approach. Police officials investigating the case are witness to what had happened, he said.

Meanwhile, the police are planning to record statements of witnesses in the presence of the magistrate as a safeguard against witnesses later turning hostile. Statements from all witnesses would be recorded this way, the police said.

The Public Prosecutor has started measures to fast-track the case. In order to ensure that the chargesheet would be submitted in 90 days, District Prosecutor K B Ranendranath discussed the issue with police officers. The police is also speeding up evidence collection to meet the deadline. Cases are fast-tracked depending on their importance and severity. It is also speeded up in situations where it would not be desirable to grant bail to the accused.

Keralites win $14 million lawsuit in US

New Orleans: A New Orleans jury on Wednesday awarded $14 million to five Indians, including four Keralites, who were lured to the United States and forced to work under inhumane conditions after Hurricane Katrina by a U.S. ship repair firm and its codefendants.

After a four-week trial, the U.S. District Court jury ruled that Alabama-based Signal International was guilty of labour trafficking, fraud, racketeering and discrimination and ordered it to pay $12 million. Its co-defendants, a New Orleans lawyer and an India-based recruiter, were also found guilty and ordered to pay an additional $915,000 each.

The centre identified plaintiffs as Jacob Joseph Kadakkarappally, Hemant Khuttan, Andrews Issac Padaveettiyl, Sony Vasudevan Sulekha and Palanyandi Thangamani. Most of them are from Kerala.

The trial was the first in more than a dozen related lawsuits with over 200 plaintiffs that together comprise one of the largest labour trafficking cases in U.S. history.

Signal recruited about 500 Indian men as guest workers to repair oil rigs and facilities damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, according to plaintiffs. The workers paid $10,000 apiece to recruiters and were promised good jobs and permanent U.S. residency for their families, according to the suit. When the men arrived at Signal shipyards in Pascagoula, Mississippi, they discovered that they would not receive promised residency documents.

Signal also charged the men $1,050 per month to live in guarded labour camps where up to 24 men lived in single 1,800-square-foot (167-square-metre) units, according to the suit.

An economist who reviewed Signal's records for the plaintiffs estimated the company saved more than $8 million by hiring the Indian workers.

"The defendants exploited our clients, put their own profits over the lives of these honourable workers, and tried to deny them their day in court," plaintiffs' attorney and Southern Poverty Law Center board chairman Alan Howard said in a statement.

Signal said in a statement that it is weighing an appeal.

"Signal strongly disagrees with rulings from the court in the case which impacted its ability to present defences and is disappointed with the verdict," the company said.

Separately, a suit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that Signal retaliated against its workers is slated for trial in June.

In March 2007, Signal's private security guards detained several workers during a pre-dawn raid of their quarters, including two the company planned to deport for complaining to workers rights advocates, according to the suit.

That Tape is in Our Hand- Thomas Isaac

Kochi: CPI M MLA T.M. Thomas isaac on Wed said that his party's Alappuzha District Secretary Saji Cherian has got an audio clip within which solar scam accused Saritha Nair admits that she has close connection with Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

The CPM leader revealed this to the judicial commission probing the scam during the recording of his statement on wednesday.

“Saritha created the revelations in a phone conversation with Saji Cherian. However, since Saritha speaks plenty of obscene matters throughout the conversation, the party decided to not use the tape as a proof within the case,” isaac said.

A news anchor and an eminent journalist in a tv channel discussion had talked about a pen drive seized from Saritha.

“The news anchor said that he had come to understand about the pen drive from a reliable source and that the Puthuppally-native (Chandy) will have to suffer plenty if the images in it are leaked,” isaac said, adding that both the journalists should be summoned for taking statements.

Konni-based businessman and a complainant in one of the cases, Sreedharan Nair, had said that Saritha handed over a cheque for Rs 2 lakh to CM's relief fund on july, 9, 2013 once he met Oommen Chandy along with her.

“However, the Chief Minister repeatedly said that he had not met Saritha and that he met Sreedharan Nair along with some quarry owners. but a reply to an RTI query proves that such a cheque was received from Saritha's solar company on july ten, 2013,” the CPM legislator said while handing over the document to the commission.

Isaac also handed the commission a copy of an email in which Saritha tells Sreedharan that they could meet the CM on july 9. The mail was sent on july 5.

Isaac told the panel that he did not suppose that Chandy had shares in Team solar, the company owned by Biju radhakrishnan and Saritha, the key accused within the case.

“Chandy's role was to help the company earn credibility among the customers. the company functioned with the knowledge and support of Chandy,” isaac said.

A minister should take the ethical responsibility if his personal staff do something wrong, he said adding that he should have resigned if his personnel staff had committed such a misdeed.

Isaac said he didn't know if there were any lapses in probing the complaints against solar fraudster throughout 2006-11 once LDF was in power.

Replying to counsels' queries, isaac said that he had no idea regarding the rumours that Saritha and her company had contacts with the then Home Minister.

'We aren't representing Mohammad Nisham', Dandapani Associates

Beedi businessman Mohammad Nisham, who had rammed his Hummer car into a security guard in his apartment on 29th on Shobha City , Thrissur  was denied bail by a district sessions court on Wednesday.

The security guard Chandrabose, 50, had succumbed to the injuries on Monday.

As details of Nisham’s actions emerged, there has been much anger spreading in Kerala and strong calls for justice to Chandrabose

What fuelled a lot of anger were reports that Dandapani Associates was the firm that was fighting the case for Nisham. Dandapani Associates is run by the wife and son of the Advocate General of Kerala mr. K.P. Dandapani.

Reports claimed that Dandapani Associates that had represented Nisham antecedently was helping him out in this case too, and this was termed as cruel irony as Nisham who enjoyed the privilege of hiring the most effective amongst lawyers, that too from the Advocate General’s family, can try escape from the clutches of law.

But KP Dandapani’s wife Sumathi Dandapani and son Millu Dandapani, both talking to Media, denied the reports.

“Dandapani Associates has not taken brief for mr. Nisham. we aren't in any respect involved. What newspapers have reported is fake. it's true that we had earlier conducted a case for him, however that was long back,” said Sumathi Dandapani.

Millu Dandapani who is presently in Australia told to News at Click that though he knew the details of the case, they weren't representing Nisham. “I saw media reports, however nobody bothered to clarify with me.”

He however confirmed that they had represented Nisham in 3 alternative cases. “I know Nisham quite well after representing him in 3 cases. i was his advocate in a case against him when his child drove a Ferrari, another civil suit against a colleague, and one among family.”

Since all these 3 cases had reached a settlement only recently, some media houses in Kerala had expressed concern that this was to give Nisham a clean slate once he appeared for Chandrabose’s murder case.

Millu Dandapani however gave an intimation of how Nisham’s defense may get in the case. according to him, “Nisham’s friends had spoken to me after the incident. according to them, one security guard hit Nisham first.”

He however agreed that what Nisham ultimately did was ‘complete injustice’.

None of the witnesses in the case has indicated that there was any aggression on part of the security guards.

Advocate K Jayachandran appeared for Nisham at the sessions court told that,"Chandrabose's murder was not planned. Nisham cannot be booked for murder. i am not a part of Dandapani Associates or any company."

There has been genuine concern that Nisham can use his money power to disencumber himself out of the case. Millu Dandapani told that a senior law firm has been employed by Nisham to represent him within the case within the high court, but refused to disclose the name.

When asked if the Dandapanis can take up the case sometime, he simply retorted that they haven’t taken up till now. He but insisted that they weren't approached for this case at all, and denied reports that they opted out owing to the controversy.

The firm run by the Advocate General’s family has been in controversy before.

The Secretary of the Kerala Bar Council had initiated disciplinary proceedings for “unfair practice” against Advocate General Dandapani for letting his wife and son to conduct cases against the state government. Following a judicial writ filed by Dandapani, the high court of Kerala on february 2, had stayed the proceedings initiated by the Bar Council.

LDF to intensify agitation against K M Mani

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI-M-led LDF opposition in the state on Tuesday said it would intensify agitation against Finance Minister K M Mani and demanded his resignation over the bar bribery row while making it clear that the Front would not allow him to present the Budget next month.

As part of the agitation, the Front decided to hold “people’s trial” at panchayat level on March 7, Front convener Vaikom Viswan told reporters here after a state committee meeting of the LDF.

He said that Mani presenting the Budget in the Assembly was against the state’s social and political culture and also a challenge to people in the state.

“Mani should either resign on his own or Chief Minister Oommen Chandy should remove him from the post,” he said, alleging that Chandy was protecting Mani as some other ministers in the state cabinet were also corrupt.

However, he said the Front had not taken any final decision on how to take on Mani in the Assembly session beginning on March 6.

The LDF has been boycotting Mani after a vigilance case was registered against him in connection with the bar scam, based on a complaint by a bar owner that the minister had taken bribe. The bar bribe scam pertains to graft allegation against Mani by a leading hotelier.

On other issues discussed in the meeting, chaired by CPI-M veteran and state opposition leader V S Achuthanandan, Viswom said the LDF wanted the government to reduce the bus charge correspondingly with the fall in the price of petrol and diesel.

The Front also decided to extend support to the joint farmers’ forum of rubber growers who were agitating against the ‘wrong’ economic policies of the state and central governments that had led to sharp fall in the prices of natural rubber, he added.

Death of security guard: Accused Nizam denied bail

Thrissur: A court here on Wednesday rejected the bail application of Muhammad Nizam, who was arrested for roughing up a 50-year-old security guard by allegedly ramming his luxury vehicle into him in a fit of rage last month.

The guard, Chandarabose, died in a nearby private hospital on Monday.

The Thrissur First Additional District and Sessions Court accepted the arguments of the prosecution that the accused had reached in out of court settlement, using his influence, in several cases filed against him.

The prosecution also informed the court that the High Court had, in the previous week, cancelled three of such cases.

Nizam allegedly roughed up the security guard and then dragged him to the wall of the parking lot and ran his Hummer vehicle into his body for delay in opening the gate of the apartment complex, where the victim worked.

Police had earlier booked Nizam for posting photographs of his seven-year-old son driving a Ferrari on the social media.

Liquor policy: Govt, party to move forward with resistance, says Sudheeran

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There is no change in the stand of KPCC in the liquor policy, said its chief V M Sudheeran. Talking to the media, he said the government and the party will move forward with stiff resistance.

The government and the party have not gone back from their earlier stand in the policy. The party will go forward with the stand highlighted throughout the Janapaksha Yatra. I don’t agree on giving beer and wine license to closed bars, he said.

The party’s policy is total prohibition of liquor. The party has the support of the public on it. Sudheeran welcomed the government decision to bring a total prohibition of liquor within ten years. To more questions, he said that he has stated everything earlier.

The strikes staged by the Left Front are not successful. The KPCC’ executive meet on January 17 will decide the agitations to be staged against the centre.

Delhi Police forms SIT to probe Sunanda Pushkar case

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Wednesday formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the mysterious death of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

“We have formed an SIT to probe the Sunanda Pushkar case,” Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi told reporters.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Delhi Police registered a murder case after a medical report said the death was unnatural and due to poisoning. The police have, however, not named any suspect.

Bassi said the conclusions made in a medical report submitted by a panel at AIIMS on December 29 necessitated registration of a murder case.

Bassi said the report found that the poison was either injected or fed orally. An injection mark on the body made the possibility of it being self-inflicted remote.

Bassi said that if needed, Tharoor would be called for questioning, which, sources said, could take place in a day or two.

A medical board of AIIMS constituted to conduct the post-mortem examination concluded on September 30 that the death was due to poisoning. The Delhi Police had sought clarifications from the board. The medical team conducted the autopsy along with teams from the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory and the police. The evidence collected by the teams was incorporated into the December report based on which a first information report under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code was registered.

The report, prepared by the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after studying the viscera report, contradicts the preliminary finding that the death was caused by an “overdose of alprax.”