TRIVANDRUM, 7 May 2006 — Police have launched a fresh manhunt for Kerala’s most wanted criminal who disappeared more than two decades ago after burning alive his look-alike to claim insurance money. They released photographs and video clippings of the suspect, Sukumara Kurup, 58, who was last seen at an ashram in northern Kerala. Police say Kurup tried to claim 800,000 rupees in insurance payout by faking his own death by killing look-alike Chacko by setting afire a car he was locked in. Two of his accomplices were caught and sent to jail. The incident kicked up a political storm in the state and inspired books and movies. The latest pictures were reportedly taken by a man whose interest was roused by a recent television program on the sensational 1984 murder case.
PM’s Intervention Sought
V.S. Achuthanandan, the opposition leader in the dissolved assembly, has sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in securing the release of an Indian worker in a Saudi jail. In a letter to Manmohan, Achuthanandan said Aboobacker, 36, continues to be in jail even after being exonerated by the highest court in a murder case because of laxity on the part of Indian authorities. He said the Indian Embassy has not taken any serious step to secure his release despite being approached several times by Aboobacker’s relatives in Riyadh since the court verdict three months ago. A copy of the verdict, ordering his release, was produced at the embassy, but officials demanded an English translation.
Counting of Votes
Counting of votes for the three-phase assembly elections that ended last week will begin at 8 a.m. Thursday and the results would be out by noon, according to the electoral authorities. Each of the 140 constituencies will have 80 counting staff and counting of both postal votes and those polled by electronic voting machines will begin at the same time. The counting centers will be networked with the district headquarters and the state capital for speedy delivery of results.
Clarification Sought
The Politburo of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has sought clarification from its state unit on why the party-promoted Kairali and People television channels carried adverse reports against V.S. Achuthanandan, one of the aspirants for the post of chief minister. His campaign manager A. Prabhakaran has complained that the two channels portrayed him as facing a tough task in Malampuzha while other channels predicted comfortable win for him. The CPI-M Central Committee member M. A. Baby, one of the strongest critics of Achuthanandan, is in charge of Malayalam Communications that runs the channels.
Television Awards
Malayalam satellite television channel Amrutha TV, the new kid on the block, cornered most of the state government’s television awards for 2005 announced here yesterday. Siddique (Samasya, Annum Mazhayayirunnu-Amrutha) was judged the best male actor while Ambili Devi won the award in the female category (Amma-Amrutha). Annum Mazhayayirunnu, directed by B. Unnikrishnan, is the best television drama. S. Sarat Chandran (Kairali) and Rashmi Maxim are the best newsreaders while Shajahan (Asianet) bagged the award for the best investigative journalism.
