KOZHIKODE: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested senior CPM leader M Gireesh and branch committee member CP Jaleel in connection with violence during the Chevayur Service Co-operative Bank election.
Gireesh, a CPM Kozhikode District Secretariat member and prominent CITU leader, and Jaleel were arrested by Medical College Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Pramod P on Wednesday.
The arrests are linked to violence and physical assaults reported during the bank's governing body election on November 16, 2024.
The bank, which has deposits worth hundreds of crores, had been under Congress administrative control for more than five decades. The CPM, backed by a dissident faction, took control during the election.
Congress leaders, including Kozhikode MP MK Raghavan and DCC president K Praveen Kumar, alleged that CPM workers used more than 5,000 forged identification cards, engaged in booth capturing and physically attacked voters and political opponents.
Following complaints of police inaction and dilution of the initial FIRs, State Police Chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar constituted a dedicated SIT in June after the UDF government came to power.
The team works under the direct supervision of Kozhikode-Wayanad Range Crime Branch SP P Vikraman. It was tasked with re-examining more than 20 cases related to electoral sabotage, property damage and violence.
The case leading to the latest arrests was filed on a complaint by Congress worker Sirajuddin, a resident of Mukkam. He suffered serious injuries, including fractures to his face and jaw, during the violence on election day.
In the primary chargesheet, Jaleel is listed as the first accused and Gireesh as the fourth accused.
The CPM leadership has criticised the arrests, calling them a politically motivated witch-hunt by the UDF government. The party has announced a protest march in Kozhikode on Thursday evening.
“M Gireesh has been arrested on the basis of a case registered in 2024 where the allegations were previously found by the police to be factually incorrect and baseless. By adding non-bailable charges, including attempt to murder, they have arrested Gireesh," said M Mehaboob, CPM Kozhikode district secretary.
"This is completely anti-democratic, factually groundless and politically motivated. It is routine for false cases to be filed against our party workers whenever UDF comes to power. We will strongly counter this both legally and politically,” Mehaboob said.
Police have invoked provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 109 for attempt to murder, Section 115(2) for voluntarily causing hurt, Section 118(1) for voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means, Section 189(2) for unlawful assembly, Section 191(2) for rioting and Section 61(2) for criminal conspiracy.