Congress leader urges re-instatement of security of former

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Monday urged the CPI-M-led LDF government in the state to reinstate the police security of Justice B Kemal Pasha, former Kerala high court judge.

In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Chennithala said it was the government's responsibility to reinstate the 'withdrawn' security and avoid any danger to his life.

As a judge who had pronounced verdict in several sensitive cases, there was threat to Justice Kemal Pasha's life, the leader of Opposition in the assembly pointed out.

He was also known as the judge who had pronounced most number of capital punishments in the state, Chennithala said in the letter.

The police security was provided to him after it was revealed that his name was on the hit list of the terror outfit ISIS, he said.

There were allegations that the Left government had withdrawn the security to Justice Kemal Pasha as he was highly critical of the government's handling of various cases, including the rape and suspicious deaths of the two minor dalit siblings of Walayar, he added.

The Chief Minister should show an open mind to accept constructive criticism, which is the foundation of democracy, the letter added.

The security of the former judge had been 'abruptly withdrawn' on Saturday.

Four armed police guards had been deputed for the judge's personal security after investigating agencies found that he was one of the targets of the people arrested in connection with the 2016 Kanakamala IS terror module case.