The Kozhikode Judical First Class Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday remanded CPI(M) State committee members P.A. Mohammed Riyas, T.V. Rajesh, MLA, and district committee member K.K. Dineshan to judicial custody for 14 days in connection with a protest march taken out by DYFI activists to the Air India regional office in 2009.
Magistrate V. Vinod remanded Mr. Riyas to judicial custody in another pending case in connection with a protest march taken to the Nadakkavu police station.
The Magistrate took the decision while rejecting the bail application of the leaders, who had appeared in the court, in these cases. Despite the court serving them with an arrest warrant, they had not been appearing in the court for long.
Securing bail in criminal cases is necessary in the backdrop of the coming Assembly polls. This also indicated that some of the leaders would be contesting the election. Another bail application would be moved on Wednesday, a source said. The case was that the march taken out by the DYFI turned violent with the protesters vandalising the office and gheraoing the Air India assistant manager.
The protesters had been demanding an immediate solution to the difficulties being faced by Gulf passengers at the Calicut Airport owing to the frequent cancellation of Air India flights. The case was registered against 25 DYFI activists on the basis of a complaint filed by Air India officials.
