KOCHI: A group of inebriated youngsters from Alappuzha, out to explore the hangouts in Ernakulam in a Mercedes Benz car on Saturday night, gave the officers on highway patrol a hard time before landing in police custody in the early hours of Sunday.
According to the Panangad police, it was around 2am that they noticed a luxury car parked right in the middle of the Kumbalam-Panangad bridge.
“A few of them were standing on the bonnet of the car with liquor placed on the bonnet, while a couple of them lay on the footpath nearby. When questioned, they yelled at the police that ‘they are citizens of independent India and they have the right to stand there and do whatever they want to’. After a round of filmy dialogues, they started abusing the officer on patrolling duty,” said a senior officer with the Panangad police.
When the accused continued to abuse and challenge the police, Panangad Sub Inspector Bharathan along with CPOs Saiju and Satheesh arrived to take the accused into custody but they attacked the officers.
Then, on the instructions of the Control Room Assistant Commissioner Ibrahim PH, who was on night echo duty, a police party led by Thrikkakara Inspector Vibin Das, who was in charge of the sub-division, reached the spot and took the accused into custody. The injured police officers later sought treatment at the Tripunithura Taluk Hospital.
All seven of the accused belong to Thaikkattussery in Alappuzha district. The arrested are Velamveli Veettil Shameer (37), Vathiveettil Anoop (27), Kumbalassery Manu (35), Pallathiparambil Veettil Varghese (35), Jayakrishnan (28) of Ambadikrishna Nivas, Punnampozhi Veettil Kiranbabu (25), and Veliyil Veettil Ajay Krishnan (28).
The accused will be produced in court on Monday, he added.