Congress district president, YC leader booked in Koothattukulam councillor assault row

The Koothattukulam police on Wednesday filed non-bailable charges against Congress leaders for allegedly assaulting officers after UDF activists, led by MLA Anoop Jacob, protested the mistreatment of a councillor.
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KOCHI: Close on the heels of the arrest of four CPM workers in connection with the alleged assault of Kala Raju, a CPM councillor in the Koothattukulam municipality, the police have registered a case against Congress Ernakulam district president Mohammed Shiyas and Youth Congress state vice-president Abin Varkey.

The Koothattukulam police on Wednesday slapped non-bailable charges against the Congress leaders for allegedly assaulting police officers after UDF activists led by MLA Anoop Jacob staged a protest in front of the police station against the mistreatment of the councillor.

“We have booked the Congress leaders after certain individuals were identified based on CCTV footage and other evidence,” said Koothattukulam SHO Vincent Joseph.

Various offences including unlawful assembly, rioting, and obstruction of public pathways under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita were invoked in the case registered suo motu, he said.

While no immediate action has been taken, appropriate measures will follow, the officer added.

Meanwhile, the Congress district leadership criticised the police action, alleging a script dictated by the CPM.

“The charges against us are a deliberate attempt to cover up the lapses of the police in this incident. Despite having registered around five cases, only four CPM activists have been arrested while the main suspects remain free, attending press conferences and party events. The police have failed to take action against the CPM leaders implicated in the victim’s statement,” Mohammed Shiyas said.

He further alleged that the removal of the DySP from the investigation team was another move to hide police’s shortcomings.

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