Crime cases on the rise in Kerala, says Satheesan

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Monday said cases of crime were on an upward spiral in the State. The latest law-breaking was the vandalising of Congress legislator M. Vincent's car. He had parked the vehicle in front of his house and found it dented and windscreens damaged on Monday morning.

Last week, an armed man had hacked a hotel receptionist during business hours to death. The crime spree had precipitated a sense of insecurity among citizens.

In Malappuram, a history-sheeter barged into a house and raped a mentally challenged minor girl in front of her invalid mother. He also intimidated them against complaining to the police.

Mr. Satheesan said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who holds the Home portfolio, tend to dismiss such recurrent trespasses against citizens' life, dignity, and property as one-off incidents. He had no care for the security of citizens.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) cell rule had rendered the police impotent. Party satraps controlled the police and not supervisory officers. The police, it seemed, existed to please the party. They were patently unempathetic to the grievances of taxpayers. Loss of professionalism, ethics and public interest were the causalities of CPI(M)'s politicisation of the police force.

The police answered their political masters and not the people or law. Mr. Vijayan had posted corrupt and acquiescent officers who answered to local party leaders in critical law and order posts. It had caused the public to lose their faith in State law enforcement.

Mr. Satheesan said the CPI(M) offered protection to organised crime in Kerala. CPI(M) leaders sponsored felons who profited from thuggery and drug trafficking.