KOCHI: A traffic warden was allegedly beaten up by an unidentified lawyer, at Deshabhimani Junction at Kaloor on Friday, for asking him to stop talking on his phone and move his car from the middle of the road.
The warden, Manu John of Edapally Traffic police station, noticed that a car was disrupting the flow of traffic at the junction.
So, he went up to the driver and asked him to move the car. However, the man inside the car, who was on his phone, rolled down the window and punched him.
Manu directed him to drive to the next police station and got into the car. On the way, the man pulled Manu out of the car and again beat him up.
A resident of Kadakkarapally in Cherthala, Manu is currently under treatment in a hospital. The Ernakulam North Police have registered a case.
Unidentified body
An unidentified body was recovered from a drainage near the Beverages Corporation outlet in Padivattom on Friday. It was recovered around 9 am and appears to be that of a middle-aged man. The Palarivattom Police have initiated a probe.
Two Youths Held
Officials of the Excise Department on Friday arrested two youths with 70 bottles of Indian-made foreign liquor, which were being smuggled in a vehicle, near Perumbavoor.
Vishnu, 21, and Rajesh, 25, both residents of Kunnathunadu, were nabbed during a vehicle inspection.
They were carrying about 35 litres of liquor that was purchased from an outlet of the Beverages Corporation. It is illegal to possess more than 3 litres of liquor at a time.
The officials suspect that the arrested persons were smuggling the liquor to hoard it and to sell at a high price after the imminent shutdown of the remaining bars in the State.
As the chances of counterfeiting and smuggling reportedly increased after the government announced the closure of bars the Excise Department has spread its nets wider in the district to book the offenders during the Onam season.
The Department has deployed its teams at Karukutty, Moothukunnam, and various places in the border areas of the district to check illegal trade of alcohol and narcotics.