Kerala: Police yet to question CM's gunman for assaulting Youth Congress workers during Nava Kerala Sadas
Even after a month, the police have not yet questioned the Kerala CM's gunman and security officers who assaulted Youth Congress workers during the Nava Kerala Sadas.
FollowThiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's gunman and security officers among five were booked for assaulting Youth Congress activists during the Nava Kerala Sadas. Gunman Anil Kumar and security officers including S Sandeep and three others are the accused. Anil Kumar and Sandeep are accused number one and two respectively. Even after filing cases against them, the police have not questioned the accused yet.
A month after the incident, the police's action was limited to sending a notice for questioning. Despite not appearing for questioning, the police have not taken any further action till now. On the other hand, the police quickly arrested Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil from his residence in the wee hours of Tuesday (Jan 9) in connection with the violence during the protest march at the Secretariat.
There were many protests and outcry following the Nava Kerala Sadas yatra event, in which Gunman Anil Kumar and Personal Security Officer S Sandeep got out of the Chief Minister's escort vehicle, surrounded the protestors, and beat them up. During their detention by the local police for demonstrating, the gunman and the security guard carried out this deed.
An order was issued by the Alappuzha First Class Magistrate Court to file a case based on the petition by the KSU District President A.D. Thomas and Youth Congress State Secretary Ajay Jewel Kuriakose who were allegedly beaten up.
The statements of complainants and witnesses were recorded on December 28. Still, the police are allegedly trying to protect the accused. A notice was sent to the police officers under Section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure. This is a notice asking the suspected accused to appear for questioning. However, they did not appear. According to the Alappuzha South Police, both of them were not in the country at that time.
In the FIR, the accused has been charged with abuse in a public place, beating with a weapon and causing grievous bodily harm. However, now the police say that the charge of wounding under IPC 325 cannot stand as it was found that there was no fracture on the hand.
Senior police officers believe that departmental action should have been taken against the officers who flouted all the rules and violated the protesters.
