KOCHI: Ansar, 39, who allegedly attacked a student physically and verbally for questioning illegal sand mining near her house at Muvattupuzha, surrendered before the police on Sunday. A native of Marady, he had been absconding for the past three weeks since the incident. He surrendered before the Muvattupuzha DySP after Ernakulam District Principal Sessions Court dismissed his anticipatory bail petition last week.
He was later produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody. The police will file a petition in the court seeking his custody for detailed interrogation. “The evidence collection procedure has to be completed. More persons were at the spot when the incident occurred and they will be identified soon,” a police officer said.
It was 20-year-old Akshaya, who was verbally abused and roughed up by Ansar when she tried to take videos of illegal mining on her mobile phone on June 15. The Muvattupuzha police had registered a case invoking charges under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Though the police seized a tipper lorry, earthmover, and other equipment used for mining from the spot, they could not trace Ansar.
The row started after Ansar and his aides bought a property in the locality where Akshaya and five other families were residing. When the residents resisted mining, they were promised that extraction would not be carried near their houses. Despite the promise, mining activities continued, and sand was excavated at a depth of around 15 metres, which forced Akshaya to make a video recording of the illegal activity. The victim had given a statement under Section 164 of the CrPC before the Muvattupuzha Judicial First Class Magistrate last month.