Bail petition of Salim Raj rejected

The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court- I on Friday rejected the bail pleas of Salim Raj, former gunman of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, and six others who were arrested here on charges of abduction a few days ago. Pronouncing the verdict, Magistrate P T Prakashan observed that the accused had committed a serious crime. He upheld the prosecution’s argument that the investigation was only in the preliminary stage and the accused would try to influence the witnesses if granted bail. Stating that any attempt to take the law into one’s hands could not be tolerated, the Magistrate opined that the action of the accused did not suit a civilised society and if given bail, it would send a wrong message to society. Salim Raj and others were arrested by the Chevayur police on Tuesday based on a complaint registered by Prasannan, hailing from Ochira in Kollam. The prosecution had slapped sections 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder), 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person), 143 (punishment), 144 (joining unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the IPC on the accused. According to the complaint, Irshad, brother of Rasheeda, the woman who was missing from Ochira and found along with the complainant, threatened Prasannan that they would attack him if he entered Kollam district. The prosecution argued that Salim Raj and the gang attacked Prasannan intentionally to harm his life. However, defence lawyer Shaheer Singh told the court that the case had been charged deliberately as there were no lethal weapons in their possession. Rijo, 28, of Sajna Bhavan, Valiyakulangara, Ochira; Sathar, 38, Irshad, 24, Karunagapally; Junaid, 30, of Memana, Shamand, 29, and Sidhique, 38, of Payikudi, are the other arrested.

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