Ten district leaders including a legislator of the Communist Party of India (CPI), accused of various offences including rioting and causing injury to public servant in a march taken out by it in July this year, surrendered at the district crime branch office here on Tuesday after their bail applications were rejected by a court.
The activists of the CPI, the second largest party in the ruling dispensation, had marched to the police Deputy Inspector General's office in Ernakulam demanding the suspension of the Station House Officer of Njarakkal police station.
The arrested include Eldho Abraham, MLA, district secretary P. Raju, K.K. Ashraf and K.N. Sugathan assistant secretaries and T.C. Sanjith, district secretariat member. They were taken to Ernakulam General Hospital for mandatory medical examinations after which they will be produced before the court.
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The protest march on July 23 was against the Njrakkal SHO's alleged highhandedness and partisan behaviour. The march ended with the police caning the protestors. Mr. Abraham suffered a fractured arm while then Central station sub inspector Vibin Das, who was later suspended in connection with the incident, also ended up in hospital with a fracture to his arm. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ernakulam, K. Laljy also suffered some injuries.
The development led to a strainming of relationship between the CPI(M) and the CPI in Ernakulam district and also within the CPI, with its State secretary Kanam Rajendran coming under fire from the part workers in the district for being “apathetic to own activists”.
The accused in the case stand slapped with IPC Sections 443, 143, 147, 148, 149, 283, 332 and 333 and Section 31 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
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