Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala addresses fatal crash and RTI exemptions

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala addressed two separate issues in the state assembly. Regarding a fatal accident in Cheranalloor involving a Mercedes-Benz allegedly driven by a minor, Chennithala criticized the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) for granting bail to the accused, who is the son of a judge, before the victim was laid to rest. The minister admitted to police lapses and stated the government is seeking to have the bail cancelled through a higher court. He emphasized that the law must apply equally to all citizens regardless of their background.

Separately, Chennithala defended the government's decision to exempt the T1 and T2 sections of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau from the Right to Information (RTI) Act. He argued that disclosing information from these sections, which include details on informants and ongoing investigations, could jeopardize whistleblower safety and hamper corruption probes. This decision is currently being challenged in the Kerala High Court by the RTI Kerala Federation.