Rajan case
Encyclopedia
National Institute of Technology Calicut
The National Institute of Technology Calicut is a federally funded technical university and an institute of national importance governed by an act passed by the Parliament of India. The campus is situated 22 km north-east of Kozhikode city on the Calicut – Mukkam Road. It was established in 1961...
, due to torture in police custody in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, during the nationwide Emergency in India in 1976, and the legal battle that followed, which brought out the facts of the incident.
Background
During the nationwide Emergency in India between 1975 and 1977, Fundamental RightsFundamental Rights in India
'Part III - Fundamental Rights' is a charter of rights contained in the Constitution of India. It guarantees civil liberties such that all Indians can lead their lives in peace and harmony as citizens of India...
of the citizen were suspended by the government, and hence it was a period of police activism. In Kerala, the Naxal movement was at its peak during this period. Major operations of Naxals in Kerala were attacks on police stations in rural area. Hence the police acted with vengeance upon the naxalites, and also used the word naxal to address those whom they had a vengeance upon.
The incident
P. Rajan, a student of the erstwhile Regional Engineering College (presently the National Institute of TechnologyNational Institute of Technology Calicut
The National Institute of Technology Calicut is a federally funded technical university and an institute of national importance governed by an act passed by the Parliament of India. The campus is situated 22 km north-east of Kozhikode city on the Calicut – Mukkam Road. It was established in 1961...
), Calicut, was arrested by the Kerala Police
Kerala Police
The Kerala State Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Kerala, India. Kerala Police has its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. The Police training college was set up by Travancore Maharaja in Thiruvananthapuram in mid 20th centuary. In 2004,a larger Kerala...
on March 1, 1976, during the nationwide Emergency in India, for alleged Naxal
Naxalite
The word Naxal, Naxalite or Naksalvadi is a generic term used to refer to various militant Communist groups operating in different parts of India under different organizational envelopes...
association. As was later revealed owing to a petition in the High Court of Kerala, he was held in police custody and tortured as part of the interrogation. He died due to the torture, especially due to something called uruttal (a practice of 'rolling' a heavy wooden log on the body of the victim). His body was then disposed of by the police, and was never recovered. Rajan's father T. V. Eachara Warrier
T. V. Eachara Warrier
Professor T.V. Eachara Warrier, was a Human rights activist in the state of Kerala, India.He became famous for his legal struggle against the Indian National Congress-led government of Kerala during the Emergency, in an attempt to get to the facts about the disappearance of his son Rajan.After the...
complained to the authorities about his missing son. The police finally confirmed that he died in custody upon a habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
suit (the first such suit in the history of Kerala) filed by his father in the High Court of Kerala.
The battle of T. V. Eachara Warrier
Rajan's father T. V. Eachara WarrierT. V. Eachara Warrier
Professor T.V. Eachara Warrier, was a Human rights activist in the state of Kerala, India.He became famous for his legal struggle against the Indian National Congress-led government of Kerala during the Emergency, in an attempt to get to the facts about the disappearance of his son Rajan.After the...
fought a long battle against the establishment to bring to light the facts behind the disappearance and through that expose atrocities committed by the state. This petition and subsequent investigations found that Rajan had indeed been taken into custody, and perhaps died when in police custody. His body was not found and due to this many charges against the accused in this case had to be dropped. The accused included the then chief of the Crime Branch wing of Kerala Police
Kerala Police
The Kerala State Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Kerala, India. Kerala Police has its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. The Police training college was set up by Travancore Maharaja in Thiruvananthapuram in mid 20th centuary. In 2004,a larger Kerala...
, DI
DI
DI, the two-letter abbreviation, has a number of meanings:Natural Sciences* Band 3, a protein* Deionized water , a type of water deprived of the dissolved impurities of ionic nature...
Jayaram Padikkal
Jayaram Padikkal
Jayaram Padikkal IPS was born in Peruvemba village Palghat in Kerala. Padikkal, son of an Indian Army officer had his education in Pune. A good hockey player, Padikkal was a voracious reader, especially history, crime and philosophy. But Padikkal ended up in the Indian Police Service...
. K. Karunakaran was the Home Minister during the emergency. He resigned from the post of the Chief Minister of Kerala in 1978 due to adverse judgement in the case. The media in some instances, like the Malayala Manorama newspaper and others wrecked Prof. Warrier’s efforts by publishing reports that tarnished Rajan and Prof. Warrier’s reputation.
Rajan, a good student with a good talent for music and drama, was suspected to be a Naxalite sympathiser like many of the youth at that time. He was never a hard core Naxalite.
In popular culture
The 1988 Malayalam film PiraviPiravi
Piravi is a 1988 Malayalam feature film directed by Shaji N. Karun. It stars Premji, Archana and Lakshmi Krishnamurthy. The film's music is composed by G. Aravindan. Piravi met with widespread critical acclaim upon release...
directed by Shaji N. Karun
Shaji N. Karun
Shaji Neelakantan Karun is a National Award-winning Indian film director and cinematographer. His debut film Piravi won the Caméra d'Or - Mention d'honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival...
has its plotline adopted from this incident.