Partiality alleged in reinstating cops

KOCHI: The proceedings to reinstate the police officials who were suspended in connection with the Sampath custodial murder case have allegedly exposed the Home Department’s discriminatory attitude. The ‘some are more equal’ theory was evident in the recommendation made to lift the suspension of the officials. Of the 14, two gazetted officers were reinstated, while nine low-ranking officials still remain under suspension.Notably, the other three officials have been recalled, but only after the court intervened in the issue. Two higher officials - a DySP and a CI, who are the key accused in the case - have returned to service after serving a suspension period of two years.Of the 14 suspended, three civil police officers who approached the Kerala Administrative Tribunal, have also joined duty. DySP C K Ramachandran, the first accused as per the chargesheet filed by the CBI before the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, is the Assistant Director of the Kerala Police Academy. Another accused, CI Vipin Das, was recalled and is posted in the Malappuram Vigilance unit.It was the Home Department that decided to reinstate these two officials last December. Though the other officials submitted a representation to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the DGP, Thrissur Range IG and Palakkad SP, no action has been taken.“Ramachandran and Vipin Das were reinstated due to the prolonged nature of the case. However, in the case of low-ranking officials, the same has not been applied. Their job is the only source of income for all these policemen,”  the sources said. The nine officials - sub-inspector (Palakkad South station) T U Unnikrishnan, SI (Town North station) P V Ramesh, civil police officer Shyama Prasad, ASI Ramachandran, civil police officers K Madhavan, P A Abdul Rasheed, Johnson Lobo, Brijith and K S Shilan - are at the mercy of the Home Department.“They were suspended on the basis of a Crime Branch report dated May 17, 2010. While some key accused are back in service, others have been kept outside. It is demoralising,” the sources added. One of the suspended officials said that some of them are winners of the Chief Minister’s medal for good service.  “Now, we are under severe stress and have even started thinking of committing suicide. The government should act as early as possible to save our families,” he said.The CBI had chargesheeted four police officials - Ramachandran, Shyama Prasad, Unnikrishnan and Ramesh - along with Binu Ittoop of Palakkad, in the case. “Though it all started with the Puthur Sheela murder, public attention soon turned to Sampath after his custodial death. The police officials involved in the case should not be penalised with suspension for such a long period. I had requested the Home Minister in this regard and he promised that the government will take an appropriate decision,” Chittoor MLA K Achuthan said.