KOCHI : Dramatic scenes unfolded in Kothamangalam on Wednesday as police registered case after case against Ernakulam DCC president Mohammed Shiyas in an attempt to arrest him. However, he was granted bail in all cases registered by Kothamangalam police in connection with protests over the death of an elderly woman in a wild elephant attack on Monday.
Officers tired to arrest Shiyas as he emerged from Kothamangalam First Class Judicial Magistrate Court after being bailed in a case for protesting with the victim’s body. The police team, under the Muvattupuzha DySP, tried to detain him in the case, registered under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act. Shiyas ran into the court to evade arrest as Congress workers blockaded the officers.
Amidst the tension, the court summoned the investigation officer and considered the case around 2.30pm. According to an FIR lodged by police, the accused removed the key to a police vehicle with the intention to damage it.
This resulted in vehicle damage amounting to Rs 25,500, it said. Meanwhile, the High Court, which considered his plea seeking anticipatory bail, directed Kothamangalam police not to arrest Shiyas until March 15. Police immediately filed another case, accusing him of attacking the Muvattupuzha DySP during the protest in Kothamangalam, after he was granted bail by the Kothamangalam court in two cases also linked to the incident, and HC ordered not to arrest him in a third case. Subsequently, the Kothamangalam court directed him to remain in court and sought a report from officers. Although police submitted a report, the court granted bail in that case as well.
Earlier, the court granted bail to Mathew Kuzhalnadan MLA, Shiyas, and 14 others after the hearing on Wednesday.
The police have booked around 30 people for protesting with the body of Indira Ramakrishnan, 72, who was killed by a wild elephant in Kanjiramvila, near Neriamangalam. They were booked under non-bailable sections, including disrespect to a dead body and a provision of PDPP Act. Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose and UDF Ernakulam district convenor Shibu Thekkumpuram were also booked in cases registered in connection with the protests.
Protest over death
Monday’s protest was led by Kuzhalnadan and Kuriakose with hundreds of locals joining in. They refused to hand over Indira’s body for postmortem.
