The police here picked up several people in connection with the late-night attack on police personnel on duty at the venue of a cultural event.
The incident happened at the Deepavali celebrations of Sree Dharmasastha temple at Chalad, under the Kannur town police station limits, here on October 29.
Musical programme
Town Assistant sub-inspector Jayaprakash (48), senior civil police officers N. Prakash (44), and Lakshmanan (46) were injured in an attack by a group of alleged antisocial elements at the venue of a musical programme.
The injured have been admitted to hospital. The police said the personnel on duty were beaten up by a group of drunk men when the former tried to intervene in a fight between two groups of people. The culprits took advantage of the crowd and darkness.
The police said that one of the injured suffered a head injury and fracture in his hand. A police vehicle was also damaged by the miscreants, they added. Twenty three people were taken into custody on the spot and mikes and loudspeakers were seized.
District Police Chief K. Sanjay Kumar Gurudin said that police showed utmost restraint despite provocation because of the presence of a large number of people, including women and children. The officer in charge himself prevented the Kerala Armed Police personnel present on the spot from resorting to action, he said.
Announcing that appropriate legal action would be initiated against those responsible for the attack, he said those found innocent would be let off after verification.
The police were also planning to initiate legal action against the organisers for not taking prior permission for conducting the orchestra event.