Judicial probe ordered into Cheriyathura police firing 

Thiruvananthapuram, May 22 . The Kerala Government today decided to conduct a judicial inquiry into the recent police firing and clashes in which six people were killed and about 40 injured at Cheriyathura Coastal Belt in this district.

Talking to newspersons here after attending a meeting of the State Cabinet, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said an assistance of Rs ten lakh would be given to the next of the kin of those killed in the incident and a job would be provided to the each dependent of the deceased.

Besides giving free treatment to all those injured, the government would also provide an assistance ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs one lakh to them, he added.

The Chief Minister said he had already given direction to the Home Department to take action against those police officials whose lapses, if any, caused the incident.

Six people were killed and over 40 people, incluing a large number of women, were injured when the police opened fire to prevent a mob attacking a place of worship on the Cheiryathura Coastal Belt, near here on May 17.