From Our Special Correspondent
Thiruvananthapuram: While the hostility between the Governor and the Chief Minister is showing no sign of respite, the State Police Chief has ordered “appropriate action” on a complaint pertaining to the alleged “attempted” assault on Governor Arif Mohammad Khan. While talking to the media in New Delhi on Sunday (Aug, 21, 2022) Mr Khan had said the Kannur Varsity VC had plotted to harm him. According to the Governor during the inaugural session of the 80th edition of Indian History Congress (IHC) held in Kannur University on December 28, 2019 “there were attempts to manhandle” him and the “ VC provided an opportunity to (historian) Irafan Habib to insult and assault” him. Khan also accused the Kannur VC’s “conduct has crossed all limits. Despite Raj Bhavan instructions, the VC failed to report the incident to police and take action against miscreants.”
Based on the public statement of the Governor a senior journalist from Kerala had filed a complaint to the state police chief on August 24 this year demanding a probe into the alleged incident and “book the culprits under Sections, 120 A, 124 and other relevant sections in the Indian Penal Code (IPC).” According to the complainant there was no response on his email (complaint) to the Director General police for over 78 days and on Thursday a reminder mail was sent to the DGP and immediately got a reply mail from the Police HeadQuarters saying the complaint was “Forwarded for taking appropriate action”. The complainant said “from the reply mail I could make out that the DGP has forwarded my email to Special Team, PHQ” [email protected] and also to ILANGO R IPS <[email protected].” Ilango R IPS is the Commissioner of Police , Kannur City.
When asked why a police probe was demanded after three years of the incident the scribe said, “As a bonafide citizen of this country and a native state of Kerala I am concerned of the serious allegations leveled by the Governor of the state. Being a journalist I follow every incident that comes to my knowledge. In fact, I thought the Raj Bhavan officials might have reported the incident to the government. But from the governor’s interaction with the media I was clear that this incident was not reported to the government. So I preferred to lodge my apprehension with the state police chief and other officials.”
The scribe further said “any threat, attack or insult of the Governor is a direct challenge to the State and its people. So, as the guardian of law and order of the State it is the duty of the State Police Chief to protect the Head of the State from any threat or intimidation. Any conspiracy against the Hon. The Governor is a conspiracy against the State. It is the duty of every responsible citizen to ask for a proper probe on any such incidents.”
Legal experts feel that the State Police “should have taken cognizance of a twitter post of the Hon. Governor dated Dec 28, 2019 and acted against the accused.” The Governor had tweeted that he was heckled while delivering inaugural speech and his ADC was physically manhandled on the stage.
