Hindu seer confesses to murder

A top Hindu cleric has confessed to murdering a worker at his temple in India's southern Tamil Nadu state.

The murdered worker was reportedly writing anonymous letters charging the seer with various misdemeanours.

"In a moment of weakness I ordered his murder," the counsel quoted the cleric as saying.

The charges levelled against the cleric, Mr Saraswati included embezzlement of gold procured for making a temple chariot and providing lavish lifestyles for the seer's relatives.

Victim Girl Arrested

The victim girl was arrested today by the Kerala state police in connection with her attempt to commit suicide in the year 2000. The police explained that she was in hiding all these years and hence the delay in her arrest.

This was in fact a contradiction of facts since she was under police protection all these days and the police had arrested her from her house which was under police protection.

The incident was reportedly planned by the accused minister and she was threatened during her arrest by the police that she reverted from her statement saying a social activist had compelled her to level the charges against the minister.

Regina's case has striking similarities with that of Zahira Sheikh of the Best Bakery Case, who said she had made accusations against those who allegedly killed her father and 14 others in Gujarat in 2002 at the instance of social activist Teesta Setalvad.

Any way the harm has been done as the government spokesmen have started saying that someone who keeps changing her statement cannot be believed.

No plans to resign

Kunhalikutty has ruled out his resignation from the UDF ministry in Kerala saying that there is no question of his resignation as minister or a reinvestigation into the case which had been dismissed even by the Supreme Court.

The government of Kerala continues to support and protect the accused minister saying that the allegations are yet to be proved in the court of law.

The media and the public demands the minister to be ousted from power so as to pave the way for an impartial probe into the allegation.

The minister who is said to run a mafia gang in the state has reacted massively to the situation using muscle power and political power to threaten and suppress his opponents.

Cable TV services disrupted

Cable TV services were disrupted at key locations in Kerala due to severing of optical fibre and coaxial cables reportedly by the supporters of the accused minister who wanted to prevent the reach of news bulletins containing adverse comments against him.

Journalists stoned and beaten

Journalists including women were stoned and beaten by the supporters of Kerala Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty, who was last week accused of sexually abusing a 22-year-old woman thrice in 1996 when she was 14.