Arun Lakshman

Stories by Arun Lakshman

Kerala: Raids on Popular Front offices continue

Kerala: Raids on Popular Front offices continue

Rediff.com   13 Jul 2010

Police raids on several Popular Front offices across Kerala have unearthed a massive catch of arms and explosives.

Kerala ignored Centre's warning on Islamic outfit

Kerala ignored Centre's warning on Islamic outfit

Rediff.com   13 Jul 2010

The Kerala government has virtually ignored a Union Ministry of Home Affairs letter, warning on the "non-policing in Malappuram district" and Thiruvananthapuram's Bheemapalli, bracketed as breeding grounds of Islamic fundamentalism in the state.

Ahead of VP's visit, detonators found in Kerala

Ahead of VP's visit, detonators found in Kerala

Rediff.com   9 Jul 2010

Two days before Vice President Hamid Ansari's visit to Kannur, a sack of detonators and fuse wires were seized from a private bus plying between Kannur and Kozhikode on Thursday.

Did Kerala outfit use Qaeda CDs to train cadres?

Did Kerala outfit use Qaeda CDs to train cadres?

Rediff.com   9 Jul 2010

The Kerala police have found several incriminating material at the residence of a leader of the Popular Front, the organisation allegedly involved in the horrific attack on Professor T D Joseph. A group of eight persons, allegedly members of the Popular Front, had waylaid Joseph and chopped off his right palm in Muvattupuzha on Sunday.

Kerala: Naxals behind botched bid to crash train?

Kerala: Naxals behind botched bid to crash train?

Rediff.com   8 Jul 2010

The police in Kerala and the Anti-Terrorism Squad have started massive combing operations into the brake pipe cutting incident of the Nilambur-Shoranur passenger train, which was discovered before the train was to leave Nilambur station at 5.30 am on Thursday.

Islamic court ordered chopping of prof's palm

Islamic court ordered chopping of prof's palm

Rediff.com   7 Jul 2010

It was a Taliban model court Darul Khada, which when translated means God's abode or God's court, which had sentenced to chop off the palm of Professor T D Joseph, the Malayalam professor of Newman's college, Thodupuzha, recently.

Kerala cops get mail warning of blasts in 3 cities

Kerala cops get mail warning of blasts in 3 cities

Rediff.com   7 Jul 2010

The director general of police in Kerala, Jacob Punnose, and the state assistant director general of police have received a threat by email that there would be massive explosions in three major cities of Kerala -- Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.

Two held for chopping off Kerala lecturer's palm

Two held for chopping off Kerala lecturer's palm

Rediff.com   5 Jul 2010

The police arrested two activists of the Islamist organisation Popular Front on Monday, in the case related to the chopping of the palm of a lecturer of the New Man college in Thodupuzha, Kerala. The arrested are Jaffer from Kothamangalam and Ashraf from Kalady.

IB probes Pakistan pilot's stay in Kerala hotel

IB probes Pakistan pilot's stay in Kerala hotel

Rediff.com   3 Jul 2010

Intelligence Bureau officials are investigating how Khan Khalid Rashid, a Pakistani pilot working for Ethihad Airlines, was allowed to leave Thiruvananthapuram airport after his flight landed on May 6.Indian law does not permit Pakistani aircraft, Pakistani pilots or cabin crew to land in any airport in the country, except in New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkota. Pakistani crew members and pilots in other airports across the country have to stay inside the retiring rooms.

Nasir's 'press meet': Home ministry raps Kerala

Nasir's 'press meet': Home ministry raps Kerala

Rediff.com   25 Jun 2010

The home ministry has sought an explanation from the Kerala government on how the state police allowed terror operative and suspected commander of Lashkar-e-Tayiba's south India operations Thadiyantavida Nasir to interact with media persons at a court in Kochi on Wednesday.The state police has also drawn flak for allowing the media to take photographs of Nasir and Shahbas, another accused in the Kozhikode twin blasts case.

Kerala IG in dock for meeting criminals in Qatar

Kerala IG in dock for meeting criminals in Qatar

Rediff.com   24 Jun 2010

The letter written by under secretary to Union home ministry K Natarajan to the Kerala chief secretary has clearly indicted Inspector General of Police Tomin Thachankery on his recent visit to Qatar.The letter clearly mentions that the IG had called on the Indian ambassador to Qatar and sought the latter's help in securing a safe passage for some wanted criminals from the country to India 'to face charges'.

NIA slams Kerala police over Nasir's statement

NIA slams Kerala police over Nasir's statement

Rediff.com   24 Jun 2010

The National Investigating Agency which is investigating the cases related to the Kozhikode and Bengaluru bomb blasts has come down heavily against the Kerala police for allowing dreaded terrorist and south India commander of Lashkar-e-Tayiba, Thadiyantavida Naseer speak to the media.

Top cop had links with terror suspects: Kerala CM

Top cop had links with terror suspects: Kerala CM

Rediff.com   23 Jun 2010

Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan in a startling revelation told the media that Inspector General of Police Tomin Thachankery "had made contacts with certain terror suspects while he was in Qatar".

ISI elements operating in Kerala: Minister

ISI elements operating in Kerala: Minister

Rediff.com   21 Jun 2010

Union Minister of State for Home Mullapally Ramachandran told rediff.com on Monday that there were certain individuals and organisations in the state, which were facilitating the activities of the ISI and said that the Union government would take stringent action against them.

B'luru blasts: PDP leader named as an accused

B'luru blasts: PDP leader named as an accused

Rediff.com   12 Jun 2010

Controversial People's Democratic Party leader Abdul Nasser Madani has been named as an accused in the Bengaluru bomb blast case.The charge-sheet in the case, filed by the Karnataka police recently, mentions six accused. Four of them are in custody and the other two, including Madani, have been declared 'absconding'.The other accused mentioned in the charge-sheet include suspected terrorist T Nasir, Sarfraz Nawaz and Shafaz Shamsuddin.

'Backstabbed' Sreesanth plans to quit Kerala

'Backstabbed' Sreesanth plans to quit Kerala

Rediff.com   10 Jun 2010

S Sreesanth is all set to leave Kerala cricket. The cricketer, while speaking to media persons in Kochi, said that he was ill treated by the Kerala Cricket Association authorities and that he is seriously thinking of representing some other state in the Ranji trophy.

Meet the man behind 1298 ambulance

Meet the man behind 1298 ambulance

Rediff.com   10 Jun 2010

Shaffi Mather, founder of the yellow ambulance or the 1298 service, was one among the six Indians who were invited by US President Barack Obama to participate in the entrepreneur summit which was held in recently in US.In an interview with rediff.com, Shaffi Mather speaks about his enterprise and the summit.

Temples in Kerala are like orphanages, notes HC

Temples in Kerala are like orphanages, notes HC

Rediff.com   1 Jun 2010

The Kerala high court in a landmark judgment on Tuesday came out heavily against the Travancore Dewasom board and said that the temples in Kerala are like orphanages, and even the day-to-day activities of the temples are not being carried out properly.

Kerala: Somali nationals to be quizzed today

Kerala: Somali nationals to be quizzed today

Rediff.com   30 May 2010

Eight Somali nationals suspected to be pirates, who were apprehended by the security agencies have been brought to Kochi for further interrogation.

Violence rocks Kannur, two RSS men killed

Violence rocks Kannur, two RSS men killed

Rediff.com   28 May 2010

The political killings in Kerala's Kannur has resurfaced again with two Rashtriya Swaymasevak Sangh men being killed in broad daylight by suspected Communist Party of India-Marxist men.