KOCHI: Five Congress leaders including former Mayor Tony Chammany — arrested for allegedly vandalising actor Joju George's vehicle during the party's road blockade protest against fuel price hike in Kochi — were released from jail on Wednesday. Ernakulam Judicial First Class Magistrate Court granted them bail.
The leaders were accorded a warm reception by party workers when they were released from District Jail, Kakkanad, on Wednesday evening. Besides Chammany, Manu Jacob, Youth Congress state secretary and corporation councillor, Jerjas Jacob, Youth Congress mandalam president, and party workers Joseph Maliyekal and Shereef Buhari, an INTUC leader and former Thrikkakara mandalam president of Youth Congress were granted bail.
"The accused should execute a bond for Rs 50,000 with two sureties each for the amount. They shall deposit a sum of Rs 37,500 each in court or together should furnish a bank guarantee for a sum of Rs 1,87,500 as per Section 8 of the Kerala Prevention of Damage to Private Property and Payment of Compensation Act," said the court order.
The bail pleas of P Y Shahjahan, Youth Congress state secretary, Arun Vargheese, Youth Congress mandalam president and P G Joseph, an INTUC local leader, will be considered by the court on Friday.
Earlier, Mahila Congress workers took out a march to Maradu police station demanding the police to register a case against actor Joju George in the complaint lodged by them alleging that the actor verbally and physically abused woman Congress workers during party's road blockade protest against fuel price hike in Kochi on November 1.
Cong to intensify stir against govt, statewide dharna on Nov 18
T'Puram: The state Congress leadership has decided to hold a series of protests, from statewide dharna to human chains, to take on the LDF government on the fuel tax and Mullaperiyar dam issue. “On November 18, the party will take out marches and stage dharna in all 140 assembly constituencies. On a later date, we will form a human chain from the Secretariat to Raj Bhavan with the participation of people from the socio-cultural milieu,” state Congress president K Sudhakaran told reporters here. On the Youth Congress' protests against actor Joju George, Sudhakaran – who on Tuesday directed the state YC leadership not to target the entire film industry over the issue – said there should not be 'war proclamation' against Joju.