KOCHI: The police will look into whether the dispute over conducting Christmas carol was the root cause of the deadly fight between migrant workers of Kitex company at Kizhakkambalam during which police officers were attacked and police vehicles vandalised, according to officers.
Eight police officials, including Kunnathunad Circle Inspector V T Shajan, were injured in the violence that broke out in front of the labour camp of Kitex Garments at Choorakode, Kizhakkambalam, on Christmas night. Subsequently, police registered two cases - one for the assault on the officers, which also includes attempt to murder charges and the other for destruction of police vehicles - and 164 persons were arrested in connection with the incident.
All these accused were remanded in judicial custody on Tuesday. Of these, 51 were arrested for attacking the Circle Inspector while 113 were arrested for vandalising police vehicles. The 19-member special investigation team under Aluva ASP Anuj Paliwal on Tuesday convened a meeting to chart out further course of action.
When asked whether more accused were involved in the incident, ASP Anuj Paliwal said it can be ascertained only after the investigation. “It’s already clear that on Christmas night there was some fight between two groups. After investigation we will be able to tell everything. The investigation is under way,” he told mediapersons at Kizhakkambalam on Tuesday. He added that after finding the facts only it could be ascertained as to what kind of drug was used by the workers.
Meanwhile, Kitex management has announced that it will take appropriate punitive measures that include termination against the 23 identified workers who were involved in the violence. Kitex Garments managing director Sabu M Jacob had earlier said that, as per their analysis based on CCTV footage, there were only 23 culprits while the rest of the people were innocent.
While the police claimed that all the arrested workers - mostly from Manipur, Assam, Jharkhand and Nagaland - were directly involved in the violence, it’s not clear as to how they zeroed in on them with Sabu M Jacob saying that CCTV footage showed the involvement of only 23.