Kerala has appointed T Asaf Ali as the new Director General of Prosecution, signalling a renewed focus on fair and truthful prosecution and justice for victims.
Key Points
- T Asaf Ali appointed as the new Director General of Prosecution in Kerala.
- Focus on truthful and fair prosecution as a shared responsibility between prosecutors and the government.
- Review of prosecution functioning over the past 10 years to correct any lapses.
- Plans to restart training programmes for public prosecutors after consulting with the Chief Minister and Home Minister.
- Emphasis on accountability from the prosecution, even if mistakes occur on the part of the police.
Senior advocate T Asaf Ali, appointed Director General of Prosecution by Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan, on Monday, said that truthful and fair prosecution is the responsibility of both prosecutors and the government.
Focus On Fair Prosecution
Speaking to reporters after his appointment, Ali said a public prosecutor is neither a party prosecutor nor a government prosecutor.
"We are ministers of justice. We will review the functioning of the prosecution over the past 10 years and, if any lapses are found, they will be corrected. We will work to ensure justice for victims," he said.
Ali, who had earlier held the post during the UDF government, said several reforms were introduced between 2011 and 2016, including training programmes for public prosecutors.
"We plan to restart them after consulting the CM and the home minister," he said.
Investigation And Accountability
Ali said one of the first Cabinet decisions of the UDF government was to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged assault on Youth Congress workers by gunmen linked to former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during the 2023 Nava Kerala Yatra in Alappuzha.
"Even if mistakes occur on the part of the police, there must be accountability from the prosecution as well. An unbiased and just approach from the judiciary must be supported by the prosecution," he said.
Justice For Victims And Accused
Ali said prosecutors are protectors of victims.
"The prosecutor's duty is to ensure justice for both the victim and the accused," he said.
When asked about alleged prosecution failures during the previous LDF government's tenure, he said the matter would be examined.
