The trouble-torn areas of Thalassery and Koothuparamba are feeling the heat of the police action to ensure law and order.
Police personnel involved in raids and vehicle checking are accused of excesses by local party leaders.
Police sources said they had received two complaints from the CPI(M) workers that the personnel were raiding houses of ‘innocent persons’ during odd hours. The party leadership forwarded the complaints from the 'affected persons' to the police. The police also said there were complaints from the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) workers that they were scared to go to the police stations for even lodging complaints because of their fear of arrest.
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The tough stance of the police following two recent murders in the area has drawn criticism that the police were showing excessive measures in the name of law and order in the trouble-hit areas.
The police actions over the past few days included strict vehicle checking and picking up of large number of people for interrogation. In these areas, the police have even launched action against persons gathered at road junctions.
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“The police are only carrying out investigation and making efforts to arrest the accused,” said District Police Chief K. Sanjay Kumar.
When contacted, he told The Hindu that the police had gone to a few houses of suspects for verification on specific inputs.
He said that if any such complaint existed, he would inquire and take corrective measures.
He said that political workers could approach higher officers, including him or the Inspector General of Police (Kannur Range) Dinendra Kashyap, if they had grievances.
According to police sources, the decision to intensify action in cases of attacks on houses of rival party workers has put the heat on party workers involved in such attacks. Non-bailable cases were registered against culprits involved in such attacks.
As many as 15 house attack cases have been registered during the recent outbreak of clashes. The police said that 10 people were arrested.
According to legal circles, house attacks should naturally come under Section 452 of the Indian Penal Code, Section 452 (house trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) which is an offence punishable for a term that can be extended up to seven years.
The police, they said, often registered such cases, under non-bailable sections on the ground that there was no physical injury involved.