KANNUR: A new case has been registered against five persons in connection with a moral policing incident that took place on June 15 near Achankara in Kayalodu, in which a woman tragically ended her life. The case was formally registered by the Pinarayi police on June 21. The action follows a complaint filed by Raheesh Perikkandi, 42, of Kolasery, who reported being assaulted by SDPI workers when he was found speaking to his female friend.
According to the police report, the accused, identified as Mubasheer, Faisal, Rafnas, Suneer, and Sakharia, all natives of Kannur district, allegedly attacked Raheesh while he was speaking with a female friend inside a car. The group forcibly took away three mobile phones and a tablet from him and threatened to leak his photos. The FIR further states that the accused abducted Raheesh on a scooter and took him to an isolated area near Kuttinchathanmadam Road, where he was physically assaulted.
Raseena K, 40, of Vengad, ended her life on June 17, reportedly following emotional distress caused by the moral policing incident that took place on June 15. Acting on the contents of her suicide note, the Pinarayi police arrested three individuals, including Rafnas C K, 24, Mubashir V P, 28, and Faisal K A, all residents of Parambai. The accused were later remanded in custody.
Meanwhile, SDPI members took out a protest march to the Pinarayi police station in response to the arrest of party workers in connection with the suicide of Raseena. The party alleged that the arrests were made without valid grounds and claimed the police action was politically motivated, accusing law enforcement of acting under the influence of the CPM. SDPI leaders demanded a fair investigation.
Musthafa Narath, SDPI district general secretary, said, “We took out the march against the arrest of the three-party workers and detaining them for no proper reason. After the incident, the party workers, family members, and prominent personalities from the place solved the issue peacefully at the SDPI office. The three persons were arrested based on a plot hatched by the CPM and the police.”
‘KERALA NOT AFGHANISTAN UNDER TALIBAN RULE’
KANNUR: K K Ragesh, CPM Kannur district secretary, said that the moral policing incident came to light after the police registered a case based on the suicide note left by the deceased.
He criticised the SDPI for spreading claims that the woman’s male friend was a CPM supporter, clarifying that the individual has no links to the CPM and is actually associated with Congress.
“His political affiliation is irrelevant in this context,” Ragesh said, adding that he was making the clarification because SDPI was using social media to politically mislead the public. He added that the public should discuss how the SDPI can do undemocratic acts by taking the job of police and engaging in moral policing. Both RSS and SDPI follow the same pattern.
The SDPI is attempting to promote a version of religious nationalism similar to that seen elsewhere. “Several such attacks have occurred in the past when SDPI and the Popular Front tried to assert their influence in Kerala. SDPI should understand that Kerala is not Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Kerala is a part of democratic India, governed by the Constitution, the rule of law, and democratic principles, not by extremist ideologies of the Taliban, he said.