The arrest of the CPI(M) activists in connection with the siege of the collectorate on Monday has seemingly put the district police in a tight spot.
The blockade on Monday, organised by the CPI(M) district committee, was in protest against the alleged negligence by the Central and State governments to the developmental needs of the district.
The police had arrested 607 CPI(M) activists, including 80 women in connection with the protest. They were charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the women agitators were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court here.
The court remanded them to 14 days in judicial custody and sent them to the Kannur Central Jail.
The remaining agitators were kept under judicial custody at the SKMJ high secondary school here as per the direction of the Court, the police said.
The Court also directed the police to produce them on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the police urged the government to withdraw the cases against those arrested.When the agitators were produced, the court discharged all cases against them as the government withdrew all the cases.
But, the CPI(M) district leaders told media persons that the action of the police was a violation of human rights of the activists.
Though the activists were arrested around 12 p. m on Monday the police failed to provide food or water to them till Tuesday morning, they said. They were even denied toilet facilities, they added.
The leaders said the police should have taken necessary steps to accommodate the arrested activists as the police had already been informed of the mode of agitation and number of protesters, they added. The LDF district committee also protested against the police action.
