The Thiruvananthapuram Rural police on Monday arrested seven persons, all having long-running criminal track records, in connection with the country-made bomb attack on the Malayinkeezhu police station on December 2.
According to C.L. Manoj Chandran, Circle Inspector, Kattakada, a team supervised by Rajpal Meena, Superintendent of Police (Thiruvananthapuram Rural), and M. Saifuddin, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Nedumangad), arrested Vipin Venu alias Unni of Meppukkada; Binu alias ‘Oolan Binu,’ also of Meppukkada; Shinumon alias Shinu; Varaprasad, 20; Anish alias Unni, 20; Shivaprasad alias Shivan, 20, all hailing from Malayinkeezhu; and Nizam alias Appami, 20, of Kazhakuttam; in connection with the incident.
The gang, Mr. Chandran said, had planned the attack to take revenge on policemen in the Malayinkeezhu police station who were trying to nab them for various offences and ‘creating obstacles’ to their unlawful activities in the area. Accordingly, Vipin Venu, Binu and Shinu had allegedly reached the police station in the wee hours of December 2, and hurled a bomb into the station with the intention of killing the policemen, including sub-inspector Riyaz Raja. Though none was injured, the police station suffered damages in the attack.
Shinu had allegedly tested another bomb by hurling it at a wall in the Meppukkada market before setting out for the police station, Mr. Chandran said, adding that the gang had sourced the bombs from Kazhakuttam via Anish and Shivaprasad, with the help of Manu Prathap, an accused in various cases registered in the Kazhakuttam police station. Nizam had arranged for the motorbike on which they reached near the station.
The gang had also conspired to attack one Shaji, a rival, the police said.
The attack saw the Malayinkeezhu SI having a narrow escape after he left for a night patrol minutes before the gang reached the police station.
A police team, comprising Mr. Raja, assistant sub-inspectors James and Paulwin, senior civil police officers Sunil Kumar, Jayakumar, Sunil Nevilraj, Vinod and Sumesh, had helped in the arrest, with ample support from the Cyber Cell, Mr. Chandran added.
