00:00Here on India Today, we've been tracking closely the updates that have come in on the Kochi hit and run
00:05and questions of a cover-up, questions of lapses in the investigation.
00:09Joining us here on India Today for an exclusive conversation is the Home Minister of Kerala, Mr. Ramesh Chanitala.
00:16Mr. Chanitala, namaskaram. Thank you very much for your time, first of all, sir.
00:21And I will begin by appreciating the fact that you have been extremely transparent
00:25in the manner in which this investigation has taken place
00:29and in conceding that there have been lapses.
00:32To you, Mr. Chanitala, what were those lapses that you discovered in the investigation?
00:40Now, first of all, when this incident happened, an FAR has been filed.
00:45In that FAR, there was not... culpable homicide was not included, 3-0-4.
00:51That was one of the biggest lapses.
00:53Number two, one policeman was trying to erase the important evidences from the mobile phone.
01:00And also, this boy has...
01:02When this boy has been taken to the juvenile justice court,
01:06they had not properly presented the case.
01:09See, these 3-4 issues were agitating in my mind.
01:13Then I given the strong instruction to the DGP
01:16that this is not at all acceptable
01:19and the victim has to be given and their family has to be given justice,
01:24whoever it may be.
01:25If judge or a common man,
01:27the justice has to be given to everybody equally.
01:31Law is equal to everybody.
01:33So, strong action has been taken.
01:35I sent ADGP and Loan Daughters, Mr. P. Vijay into the sport
01:40and he has given a report.
01:43On the basis of the report,
01:44he suspended one CIA, one SHO and two policemen.
01:49And also, the Cochin City Police Commission has been transferred.
01:53Strong action has been taken by the government in this regard
01:57because we are with the victim's family
01:59and an innocent man who was riding a scooter
02:03after closing down his stroke
02:05has been hit and the sport, he died.
02:08So, and also, the judge,
02:11he is not supposed to go to the police station
02:14and sit there for two, three hours.
02:16Yes.
02:17Why he has gone there?
02:18A judge can go to the police station
02:20for an official function
02:22but not as this
02:25and that was also unwarranted
02:27and that also created a lot of suspicion
02:30among the people and the family.
02:32So, this was the situation.
02:34That is why the government has taken
02:37very strong action on this
02:39and we are with the family, victim's family.
02:41Whatever we can do,
02:43we will try to help them
02:46and try to give them justice.
02:48Mr. Chanitala, I will repeat this again
02:51that it's very rare that you see
02:52a politician with a conscience, unfortunately,
02:55that a minister takes his job so seriously
02:57that you immediately cracked the whip, sir.
02:58And that's great to see
02:59that the government has acted
03:01in the manner that it has.
03:02But Mr. Chanitala, you did highlight
03:04that the Kochi police top cop
03:05has also been suspended.
03:07There's been action taken against him.
03:09Were you disappointed, sir?
03:11Were you learnt of the manner
03:11in which the police handled this case?
03:17Because when a poor man
03:19who was riding,
03:20after closing his shop
03:21and riding in a scooter,
03:23he has been hit
03:24and the police has not taken
03:26cognizance of that.
03:28And they have taken very flimsy,
03:30they have incorporated flimsy
03:33sections in the FAR.
03:35When I came to know about that,
03:36it is my duty
03:37not to protect those people
03:39who are trying to erase the evidences.
03:44It is my duty
03:46to protect the interest
03:47of the victim's family.
03:49As prime minister,
03:50it is my bounden duty
03:53to protect the interest
03:54of the victim.
03:55We are with the victims,
03:56not with the police
03:57who had done
03:59injustice to the family.
04:01That is why
04:02I suspended four of them.
04:04We cannot accept
04:05that kind of a...
04:06And a minor,
04:07how can he go
04:08drive a Ben's car
04:10and in the night
04:12at two o'clock,
04:13two o'clock,
04:14and there was heavy rain
04:15in that area.
04:19And even if he is...
04:21And his father is a judge,
04:23so he should have
04:24taken care of the minor
04:26not to drive in a car.
04:28He doesn't have a license also.
04:30So how can you drive
04:32a car like this?
04:33So,
04:34and judge cannot go
04:36to the police station
04:37and dictate the police
04:39to do according
04:40to his whims and fancies.
04:42That we cannot accept it.
04:44Sir,
04:45today what we have also seen
04:46is that the father,
04:47the judge who you are referring to,
04:49has been granted bail
04:50because the court says
04:51he is not at flight risk,
04:53that he will cooperate
04:53with the investigation.
04:55You started off saying
04:56that the message is
04:57that the law is equal for all.
04:58But when we see
04:59these kind of circumstances
05:01in which,
05:02you know,
05:02you've got one reprieve,
05:04one respite after another
05:05happening for the accused's family,
05:07it's disappointing, sir.
05:08And then that question comes up,
05:10is the law truly equal for all?
05:11It doesn't seem to be the case.
05:16Yeah,
05:16the law is equal for everybody.
05:18Justice has to be done
05:19to the people
05:20who are suffering.
05:21That is my attitude
05:23and my thinking.
05:24And not only that,
05:25we have registered a case
05:26against the judge
05:27immediately
05:28and sent it to the
05:30registrar of Kerala High Court
05:32about this case.
05:36And also,
05:37we filed a petition
05:38in the High Court
05:40against the judgment
05:41of the Juvenile Justice Court
05:45which was granting
05:47bail to the minor.
05:49That is coming tomorrow.
05:50And also,
05:52this bail is given
05:55by the High Court
05:56only up to Friday.
05:57Friday,
05:58the final judgment
05:59will come.
06:00We are waiting for that.
06:01And our prosecution
06:02is arguing
06:04properly
06:05and we are monitoring
06:07the case.
06:08If he will get
06:09complete bail,
06:10then the option
06:12before us
06:13is to
06:13go to the
06:14division bench
06:16and fight
06:16and fight
06:17the case
06:17there.
06:19Sir,
06:20do you hope
06:20that with the kind
06:21of action
06:21that the Keralam government,
06:23I'm not going to bring up
06:23what the courts have done
06:24because that's not in your hands,
06:26but with the action
06:27that the Keralam government
06:28has taken
06:28and that you
06:29as Home Minister
06:30have taken,
06:30do you hope
06:31that this particular case
06:32and the steps
06:33of cracking down
06:34on the police
06:35ensuring the investigation
06:36is fair
06:36serves as an example
06:38to anyone else
06:39who believes
06:39that with the kind
06:40of influence
06:41they have,
06:42with the kind
06:42of power
06:43and privilege
06:43they have,
06:44they can get away
06:44with the worst crime,
06:45sir.
06:46Do you hope
06:46this serves
06:46as an example?
06:50No,
06:51law will be
06:52equal to everybody.
06:54Even if a judge
06:55or a poor
06:56tea shop owner,
06:59everybody,
07:00they are all
07:01citizens of this country.
07:03Law cannot be,
07:05cannot be unequal
07:07for everybody.
07:07So that is why
07:08we are fighting
07:09for the family.
07:10That is why
07:11we are fighting
07:12for the victims'
07:13argument
07:13and their demand.
07:16We are with
07:17the demand
07:17of the victims'
07:18family.
07:18We will fight
07:19to the last.
07:21My final question
07:22to you,
07:22Mr. Chenithara,
07:23is in Malayalam,
07:24if you can
07:25give an assurance
07:26to the victims'
07:26family.
07:27One of the
07:27people in Malayalam,
07:28one of the
07:29one of the
07:30people in Malayalam.
07:42Mr. Chenithara,
07:48is in Malayalam,
07:49Mr. Chenithara,
07:59thank you very much,
08:00Mr. Ramesh
08:00Chenithara,
08:01for joining us.
08:02Like I said,
08:02we appreciate the fact
08:03that as Home Minister,
08:04you've stepped in,
08:06not just taken
08:06accountability,
08:07but ensured that
08:08anyone who let
08:09the accused get away,
08:11immediately there was
08:12action against.
08:12We deeply appreciate that,
08:14sir.
08:14That's the right message
08:14to send across to the country.
08:16Thank you,
08:16Mr. Ramesh Chenithara,
08:17for joining us.
