Brutal murder raises questions yet again

Kerala was shocked to learn about the brutal murder of 19-year-old Shan in Kottayam. It is learnt that Jomon, the accused, committed the murder and dumped the body in front of the police station to maintain his prominence among the goonda gangs. After dumping the body, Jomon shouted that he was the one who committed the murder. Jomon reached the station by around 3.30 am on Monday while the police were searching for Shan. Anyway, the culprit made the job of the police easier. The police did not have to run all over the state looking for the killer. As per the records, Jomon was a goonda leader who was charged under the 'KAPA'. However, Jomon produced a false statement and returned to Kottayam after earning a favourable verdict. It is evident that the authorities had turned a blind eye.

The Kottayam incident cannot be taken lightly. Of late, the state has been witnessing an increase in violence perpetrated by goonda gangs. Last month, we saw a goonda gang murdering a youth in Pothencode before chopping off his leg and celebrating in the public. A similar incident had taken place in Kottayam in November when a goonda gang murdered the leader of a rival gang and chopped off his leg. What is even more shocking is the fact that these murders are taking place in broad daylight. The government has clearly failed in suppressing the escalation of violence in the state.

As per figures, the police have nabbed as many as 14,014 persons in the last month through a special drive called 'Operation Kaval'. Cases have been registered against 224 of them. The police force that sets out to hunt down goons will secretly stop the 'operation' when the excitement subsides. The CIs were made in charge of the police stations to improve the governance of the stations. However, the new system has not been able to deal with anti-social elements effectively.

One cannot ignore the help that the goonda gangs receive from the authorities. Political interference has always helped the growth of these gangs. Interference from above had helped Jomon, the accused in the Kottayam incident, to return home. He would not have been able to return before the end of the KAPA period if the police report had been unfavourable.

Incompatibility between the power centers leads to the growth of criminal gangs. The fact that Jomon was able to return to Kottayam despite being convicted in more than 30 cases marks the failure of the law. Even as the drive to hunt down goons are taking place, police officials and politicians are helping criminals to evade arrest. As long as these people are there to help, the atrocities will continue to recur.

We will get a rough picture of the enforcement of law in the state by looking at the incident where a person, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case, managed to get continous paroles and attended DJ parties at resorts. The police should not only nab the goons. The perpetrators should be brought to justice as soon as possible and given the punishment they deserve.