KOCHI: Dramatic scenes unfolded at Kalady police station on Sunday morning when Congress leaders led by Angamaly MLA Roji M John ‘released’ three KSU leaders who were lodged in the cell at the station.
The leaders, Roji, Benny Behanan, MP, and Saneeshkumar Joseph, MLA, arrived at the police station for releasing the KSU workers who were taken into custody in connection with a students’ clash at Sree Sankara College, Kalady, on Friday. According to the leaders, the police took the students into custody from their houses at night and handcuffed them.
Congress leaders staged a sit-in protest in front of Kalady police station on Sunday alleging that police illegally took into custody a few leaders of the KSU Sree Sankara College unit. Meanwhile, Roji, who led the protest, released three KSU leaders who were lodged in the cell at the station. The protest was later withdrawn following an assurance from Perumbavoor ASP that the KSU workers will be released on bail.
A clash erupted between the students on Friday and police took a student into custody. However, a section of students blocked the police from taking him to the police station citing that he was not involved in the incident.
However, police booked a few students slapping charges of obstruction of official duty. Later, the police took five students into custody from their houses on Friday night. The police later released all the students.
However, they took KSU unit president Rajeev and two others into custody on Saturday night. Congress leaders protested in front of the station from Sunday morning alleging illegal detention of these students.
“The students were handcuffed and treated like accused in murder and rape cases.
They are student union functionaries and not criminals. The present Kerala Police have no courage to handcuff rape and murder case accused,” Roji alleged. Justifying his act, the MLA said, the people have to review the visuals of ‘releasing’ the KSU workers widely spread on social media platforms on Sunday.
Earlier, also UDF came out protesting against handcuffing of two MSF activists who were taken into custody for protesting against the state government.
No police clearance certificates for offenders
In the wake of the recent clashes at Sree Sankara College, the police have decided to initiate stringent action against the students who are involved in criminal activities on the campus. The police will not issue clearance certificates of any kind to the accused students.
This will adversely affect their employment, higher studies and travel abroad. Anisan, 22, an outsider who was involved in the attack on the campus was arrested on a charge of attempt to murder. The accused who were seriously injured in the clash are undergoing treatment in a hospital.