KOCHI: Two suspended Congress leaders, who were involved in an alleged abduction and assault of a trade union worker in Kochi, surrendered before the investigating officer on Tuesday.
The two accused persons- Maradu municipal vice -chairman Antony Asanparambil and councillor Jinson Peter- surrendered before the police officer days after the High Court dismissed their anticipatory bail plea. The court asked them to surrender before the investigating officer.
The police said Antony was the kingpin who conspired with the other accused in the case to abduct and illegally confine Shukkoor, the complainant. After recording the arrest of the accused persons, the police produced them before the court, which remanded them in judicial custody till December 27.
The police said the accused were living in different hideouts in Kerala and Karnataka. Fourteen were arrested in connection with the case and 12 were in judicial custody.
Ernakulam Central police station CI Ananthalal said the police will seek custody of the accused persons for interregation.
According to the case registered in 2013, it was alleged Antony and his team abducted Shukkoor, detained him at a secret location and assaulted him in connection with the dispute over removing mud at a construction site at Nettoor. Shukkoor was abducted by Antony with the help of local goons Bhai Nazeer and Kundannoor Thambi,the police said.
Antony said the case was an attempt to sabotage the UDF rule in Maradu.
“Till date there are no cases against us. We didn’t go absconding. We just kept ourselves away from public attention as our pleas were pending before the courts,” he said. The duo was suspended from Congress in November.