KOCHI: CPM Koothattukulam area secretary P B Ratheesh, along with four other party members, has filed anticipatory bail pleas at the Ernakulam Sessions Court. The move comes in response to allegations surrounding the assault and abduction of Kala Raju, a CPM councillor in the Koothattukulam municipality. The alleged incident reportedly occurred as Kala arrived to attend a no-confidence motion initiated by the UDF in a council held by the LDF with a narrow majority.
The petitioners—Ratheesh, Vijayakumari K P, Sunny Kuriakose, Suma Vishwambharan, and Febeesh George—assert that they are innocent of the allegations against them. They claim that when Kala arrived at the municipal office, she was invited to the CPM office for a discussion. After their meeting, she returned home without any issues.
The petitioners argue that this case is a calculated effort to malign and discredit the CPM workers. The case was registered following a complaint by the councillor’s daughter. However, Kala herself did not file a complaint during her visit to the Koothattukulam Government Hospital, and there exists no wound certificate to corroborate the allegations, pointed out the petitioners. Meanwhile, four CPM activists arraigned in the case and previously arrested and remanded received bail on Thursday.
Arun Mohan, 40, the CPM Koothattukulam branch secretary, along with activists Tony Baby, 34, Prince Varghese, 42, and Sajith Abraham, 40, were granted by the Muvattupuzha First Class Judicial Magistrate Court.