AKG Centre attack case: Crime Branch to quiz woman Youth Congress leader, two others

The Crime branch will soon interrogate a woman Youth Congress leader for arranging a two-wheeler for Jithin V, who was arrested for allegedly hurling crackers at the AKG Centre on June 30.
AKG Centre attack case: Crime Branch to quiz woman Youth Congress leader, two others

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Crime branch will soon interrogate a woman Youth Congress leader for arranging a two-wheeler for Jithin V, who was arrested for allegedly hurling crackers at the AKG Centre on June 30. Crime branch sources said that the woman would be quizzed for the second time to collect more details about handing over the ‘Deo’ scooter to Jithin for travelling up to the AKG Centre for executing the crime.

Crime branch officials said that they would take a decision on arraigning her as an accused in the case only after a detailed interrogation. She was questioned earlier, before Jithin’s arrest. Crime branch sources also pointed out that two more Youth Congress workers were involved in the incident and they would be taken into custody soon.

Meanwhile, the crime branch took Jithin to his house at Manvila and a MAX fashion outlet at Pattom as part of evidence collection on Saturday. They took him to MAX as he bought the branded T-shirt which he wore during the incident from the outlet. Earlier, the crime branch had said that they zeroed in on Jithin based on the T-shirt he wore at that time, after analysing the CCTV footage.

In the meantime, Youth Congress workers took out a protest march to the crime branch office at Kowdiar in the capital, alleging that Jithin was ‘framed’ by the police in the case. Though a police barricade was kept near the office, the workers attempted to push it. Later, the police used water cannon twice to disperse protesters. They left within an hour after inaugurating the protest. The Museum police have registered a case in connection with the incident. They have been booked under Sections 143, 147, 148, 149, 188, 283 and 332 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertain to various offences, including unlawful assembly, rioting, and voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from discharging his duty.

The crime branch arrested Jithin on Thursday and was remanded on the same day. On Friday, the court sent him to police custody for further interrogation and evidence collection. In the remand report, the crime branch said Jithin, 31, a resident of Kulathoor and president of the Youth Congress Attipra mandalam committee, was identified as the culprit after an extensive probe by five police teams.

The report said the AKG Centre attack was in retaliation to the CPM attack on the KPCC office and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi’s office. The local police had initially probed the case, but as they failed to identify the suspect, the case was handed over to the crime branch. However, Jithin has denied his involvement in the incident.

EVIDENCE COLLECTED
The crime branch took Jithin to his house at Manvila and a MAX fashion outlet at Pattom as part of evidence collection on Saturday. They took him to MAX as he bought the branded T-shirt which he wore during the incident from the outlet.

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