Custodial deaths: Commission terms charges as "baseless"

Thiruvananthapuram, July 26 (UNI) The Justice R Rajendra Babu Commission that inquired into 15 alleged custodial deaths in Kerala today termed the charges as ''baseless''.

Talking to newspersons here, after submitting the inquiry committee report on the table of the state Assembly, the Minister said there was no custodial death due to police torture.

He said the Commission had concluded that the allegations of the Opposition were ''baseless, unfounded, bias and politically motivated''.

However, there were some lapses on the part of the police in three cases and crime branch would look into the cases.

He said the next of the kin of two victims would be given an assistance of Rs two lakh and family of another victim would get Rs one lakh.

He said the government had already issued guidelines to police force to strictly adhere to the provisions of Supreme Court while taking some one into custody.

UNI