Two officers of the Maharashtra Police reached here on Wednesday as part of the probe in a case of rape against Binoy Kodiyeri, the elder son of Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, registered on a complaint by a Mumbai-based woman.
The two officers visited the office of District Police Chief Prateesh Kumar on Wednesday. Police officers here remained tight-lipped about the purpose of their visit.
“I am not the investigating officer, you ask the investigating officer, you ask the Mumbai police,” Mr. Kumar told reporters outside his office in the afternoon.
The reporters waited outside the DCP’s office in vain for hours in the afternoon to see the police officers from Mumbai.
Binoy was booked by the Oshiwara police on the charge of raping the 33-year-old woman from Mumbai. The woman has accused Binoy of having cheated her into long-term conjugal relationship on the promise of marriage.
Purpose of visit
The visit of the two police officers took place amid reports that the Maharashtra Police has asked Binoy to appear before it in three days. It triggered speculation that the officers had come to serve warrant on him at his residence.
Meanwhile, the State police have sought legal opinion on the admissibility of the complaint of blackmail and extortion filed against the woman by Binoy in April.
The case continued to dominate television news through the day with Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Mullappally Ramachandran challenging the CPI(M) to institute an inquiry in the case.
Opposition’s stance
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the allegations against Binoy were grave and the public had a right to know the truth. “Something is rotten in the State of Denmark. The scandal reflects the moral decline of the CPI(M),” he said.
However, CPI(M) leaders appeared to rally around their party secretary. Law Minister A.K. Balan said the personal affairs of a private individual did not concern the party.
‘Political motive’
He perceived a malevolent political motive in the escalating attempts from various quarters to ‘corner’ the CPI(M) leadership on the issue. He said the moves to crucify the CPI(M) would not pass muster with the public.
Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty said the party had no stake in the issue and if a person had committed a crime that individual would have to bear the legal liability that came with it.
(With inputs from Special Correspondent in Thiruvananthapuram)
