2 held on charge of spreading Maoist thought

Police raid houses of several people including those of human rights activists

The police on Friday arrested two persons on the charge of sympathising with Maoists and spreading their ideology.

Activist Jaison C. Cooper was detained from his house at Mattancherry, whereas lawyer and human rights activist Thushar Sarathy was arrested from Kozhikode where he was attending a public protest meeting.

Jaison Cooper was produced in court and remanded in police custody. Thushar Sarathy is expected to be produced in court on Saturday. Both have been charged under various sections of the law, including Section 13(b) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for abetting unlawful activities.