Govt sets up SIT to nab accused in Jishnu suicide case

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI-M led LDF government Thursday set up a special investigation team (SIT) to nab the absconding accused in the suicide of engineering student Jishnu Prannoy, a day after his family members were prevented by police from staging a fast in front of the DGPs office here.

Facing flak from various quarters, including LDF partner CPI, for the "highhanded" police action against the mother of the student and others, the government constituted the team headed by ADGP Nithin Agarwal and announced a reward of Rs one lakh to those giving information about the two wanted men.

Addressing a rally in the bypoll-bound Mallapuram Lok Sabha constituency, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said his government has taken all steps to ensure that justice was delivered to the family of Jishnu Pranoy, found hanging in his college hostel in Thrissur District, in January.

He said the government has all sympathies with the mother who has lost her son. Mahija had not spoken against the government, he said, adding, "The government does not want anymore Jishnus."

Congress leader K P Vishwanathans son is one of the accused in the case and has been arrested. Some more accused, who are absconding, would be apprehended, he said.

"We know the pain of the mother who loses her son," the Chief Minister said.

Demanding justice for Jishnu, his family members, including his mother, continued their fast for the second day at the Medical College Hospital here, where they had been admitted with complaints of uneasiness and body pain after police forcibly removed them yesterday from the DGPs office.

As a mark of protest over the police "highhandedness" against the family of Jishnu, a state-wide hartal was observed in response to a call by Congress led UDF and BJP.

The hartal, which hit normal life, passed off by and large peaceull, barring a few incidents of stone pelting and blocking of vehicles.

Announcing the setting up of the SIT, DGP Loknath Behra also wrote to his counterparts in all other states to help the Kerala police in nabbing the two absconding accused and announced the reward, police said.

He also gave permission to the SIT personnel to travel to any part of the country as part of the investigation, a police release said here tonight.

Steps also would be taken to confiscate the assets of the three, it said.

The police action against the family members of Jishnu also came in for criticism from CPI-M politburo member M A Baby besides the CPI and opposition parties.

BJP General Secretary Shobha Surendran said she has written to Union Home Minister, Minster of Women and Child Development and the National Womens commission against the police action on Mahija.

Jishnu, hailing from Kozhikode district, ended his life following alleged harassment by college authorities.