Ending the cat-and-mouse game he had been locked in with the police for 21 days, former CPI(M) Kalamassery area committee secretary Zakir Husain on Thursday surrendered before the Assistant Commissioner of Police investigating the alleged kidnap and assault case against him.
Officials said Zakir Husain reached the office of Shihabuddin, Assistant Commissioner of Police, DCRB, Kochi, around 8 a.m. To evade the large media contingent waiting outside, he entered the building through the backside, and after due interrogation, the police recorded his arrest around 9.30 a.m.
Later, the investigating officials brought Jube Poulose, the complainant, to identify the accused. In the afternoon, Husain was produced before the Kalamassery Magistrate Court which remanded him in custody till December 1.
Though the accused moved a bail plea, the prosecution sought to oppose it, citing the number of cases pending against Husain and the possibility of him absconding again.
Earlier, the High Court and the District Sessions Court had denied anticipatory bail to Husain.
The Palarivattom police had registered a case against Husain based on a complaint lodged by Jube Paulose before the Chief Minister. Karukapilly Siddique, an ousted DYFI leader currently in judicial custody, is the second accused in the case.
The case was registered under IPC Sections 323, 342, 363, 365, 506(1), and 120 (b) for illegal confinement and criminal intimidation.
In his complaint, Poulose had alleged that Husain had threatened him. It said Husain had asked Poulose to withdraw from a business deal with one Sheela Thomas and hand it over to him by taking a compensation of Rs.10 to Rs.12 lakh. According to the complainant, Siddique had also threatened him claiming it was a quotation from CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan from Thiruvananthapruam.
On November 11, 2014, Poulose had entered into a business partnership with Sheela Thomas, who runs Acrah Organics Private Limited, for supplying diary products from his farm. The venture was launched by availing a loan of Rs.35 lakh from IDBI Bank. However, Thomas unilaterally withdrew from the deal after five months, the complainant alleged.
For the record, the CPI(M) had removed Hussain from the post of party’s Kalamassery Area Secretary.
