As the Navakerala Sadas left Ernakulam and entered the neighbouring Idukki district on Sunday evening, it left behind a trail of police cases against the members of both the Congress and CPI(M) and its feeder outfits.
In one of the latest cases to be registered during the four-day event in Ernakulam, the Kuruppanpady police registered a case invoking, among others, IPC 308 (attempt to culpable homicide) against four KSU activists on charge of hurling shoes at the Navakerala Sadas bus carrying the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues and a police security vehicle at Odakkali Junction in Kothamangalam.
The accused were identified as Basil P, State office bearer of KSU, and KSU activists Devakumar T, Jibin Mathew, and Jaiden Johnson. The police also invoked IPC Sections 283 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). According to the First Information Report, the accused’s act threatened to cause accident that could have led to death.
KSU State president Aloysius Xavior said that the act of hurling shoes was an emotional outburst of the activists angered by the assault against Congress activists allegedly by the ‘CPI(M) goons’ and not an organised protest means. “Having said that we will not abandon them and will extend them all legal and political support,” he said.
The Perumbavur police registered a case against 30 identifiable DYFI activists in another incident in which Perumbavur MLA Eldhose Kunnappillil, his staff Abhijith K. Balan and Perumbavur municipal chairman came under attack at a hospital in Perumbavur on Sunday evening. According to the FIR, Mr. Kunnappillil was hit on his left shoulder and neck by one of the accused while Mr. Balan suffered an injury to his nose after being hit with a wooden bar.
The police registered the case invoking IPC Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 294(b) [sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place].
In the neighbouring Kothamangalam, the Congress office bearers staged a sit-in in front of the police station on Monday demanding that a case be registered against DYFI activists who allegedly brutally beaten-up Ali Padinjarechalil, the Nellikuzhy Congress mandalam president on Sunday evening. A CCTV image has emerged of four persons assaulting Mr. Padinjarechalil who later in the hospital said that probably his black shirt instigated the attack.
Not far away from the petrol pump where that attack took place, Youth Congress Nellikuzhy mandalam president Ajeeb Eramalloor and Seva Dal mandalam president Saleem P were roughed up allegedly by DYFI activists.
While these were just the cases registered on the last leg of the Navakerala Sadas in the district on Sunday, a slew of cases had been registered in police stations across the district since it entered the district last Thursday. The Aluva police registered a case against seven DYFI and CPI (M) workers for attacking two mediapersons covering the event while another case was registered against 29 persons, including CPI (M) and DYFI activists, for allegedly assaulting a vegetable vendor for passing comments against the Chief Minister and the Navakerala Sadas. The Aluva police registered another case against seven, including DYFI activists, for assaulting a Youth Congress activist.
The Central police registered a case against two Democratic Socialist Association activists on charge of obstructing and assaulting police officers on duty during the Navakerala Sadas held at Marine Drive.
In the same incident, Rayeez, a member of CPI (M)’s Thammanam branch committee, was also roughed up reportedly following a mistaken identity. The police said that no case had been registered in that case since no complaint was forthcoming. The Congress alleged that there was immense pressure on the victim’s family to hush up the episode without a police complaint.