In late night drama in Kothamangalam, police arrest Congress legislator Mathew Kuzhalnadan and DCC president

March 05, 2024 09:09 am | Updated 10:00 am IST - KOCHI:

High drama prevailed in Kothamangalam town around Monday midnight when the police swooped down and arrested Mathew Kuzhalnadan, MLA, and the Ernakulam district Congress Committee president Mohammed Shiyas.

Mr. Kuzhalnadan was arrested from the tent put up at the Post Office Junction in Kothamangalam town where he was sitting on an indefinite hunger strike with fellow legislator Eldhose Kunnappillil demanding a permanent solution to the ever-worsening human-wildlife conflict across the State.

Attempt to arrest Mr. Kunnappillil was resisted by the senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala who had earlier inaugurated their hunger strike. The police had taken him into a police vehicle from which Mr. Chennithala got him released, said Congress sources.

The arrest of Mr. Shiyas was more dramatic of which a video has emerged since then. In the video, a police officer in plain clothes, accompanied by a posse of policemen in uniform, could be seen taking Mr. Shiyas away in a wrestling-like lock from behind from near a shop near the protest venue where he had gone for having some refreshments. Obviously, the arrest was unexpected as there were only a handful of party workers with him at the time who were not able to resist the police move.

This was followed by the Congress workers having a minor confrontation with the police. They hurled chairs at the cops and pelted stones at a police vehicle parked in the area. While Mr. Shiyas was taken to Oonnukal police station, the whereabouts of Mr. Kuzhalnadan were not immediately known. Protests were also held in Kochi city under the aegis of DCC in the early hours on Tuesday.

Their arrests were in two separate cases, including on non-bailable charges. The Ernakulam rural police had registered cases against them in connection with the protest and the alleged forcible acquisition of the body of Indira, who was trampled to death by a wild elephant, from the Kothamangalam taluk hospital.

The police, however, received a setback after a magistrate granted them interim bail around 3 a.m. on Tuesday. Their case is likely to be heard in the open court later in the day.

Mr. Kuzhalnadan dubbed the late-night arrests as a provocation by the police and part of a ploy to divert attention from other issues. The Congress and its feeder organisations have been on a warpath with the State Government over the alleged killing of J.S. Sidharth, a second-year student at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) at Pookode in Wayanad district of Kerala.

Mr. Shiyas said that they could not be browbeaten and that the protests will continue.

Opposition Leader V.D. Satheeshan said that protests will be held across the State on Tuesday against police highhandedness. He said that scenes reminiscent of West Bengal before the Left rule of 33 years ended there was playing out in Kerala as well. This is the beginning of the end for CPI (M) and Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala, he said.

The late-night drama was a continuation of an equally eventful morning when the Congress activists protesting with the body of the woman trampled to death by an elephant at Kanjiraveli in Idukki district for over two hours were cane charged by the police to recover the body for inquest and post mortem.

The police had since then registered two cases. In one case Mr. Shiyas, the United Democratic Front district convener Shibu Thekkumpuram, Dean Kuriakose, MP, and Mr. Kuzhalnadan were the key accused. They were booked under IPC Sections 353 (assaulting or using criminal force against a public servant in the execution of his duty or with intent to prevent or deter him) 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 297 (causing indignity to human corpse), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 149 (liability of member of all in unlawful assembly).

In another case registered on a petition filed by nursing superintendent of the taluk hospital, Mr. Kuzhalnadan and Mr. Thekkumpuram were the key accused booked under the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence) Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act besides the IPC sections.