The Additional Superintendent, Ernakulam Rural, and the Special Branch DySP have submitted to District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) their inquiry reports on the dramatic turn of events involving the alleged abduction of CPI(M) councillor in Koothattukulam municipality Kala Raju.
The reports, which reportedly suggested some inaction on the part of the police, would be forwarded to the Ernakulam Range DIG. The inaction, if found intentional, would entail strict action, even registration of the FIR against the officers concerned.
Ms. Raju was allegedly abducted by CPI(M) activists just before the council was set to vote on the no-confidence motion against CPI(M)’s municipal chairperson Vijaya Sivan on the morning of January 18. She was taken to the CPI(M) Koothattukulam area committee office, emerging out of which in the evening Ms. Raju alleged that she was assaulted and abducted by the party activists.
Four arrested
The police have since registered five cases against both the parties in connection with the incident and arrested four persons for the alleged abduction. They had since been released on bail while the key accused in the case moved the court for anticipatory bail.
Reportedly, it has been pointed out in the reports that the Muvattupuzha DySP was deployed in the scene in the last minute in the absence of the jurisdictional DySP of Puthencruz who was away on Sabarimala duty. Since it was not his jurisdiction, he was not familiar with the local leaders from both the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF). Neither was he aware about the movement of Ms. Raju nor about her political affiliations. The priority was to move a few women councillors, including Ms. Raju, who had come to the spot when tempers started flaring.
Reportedly, Ms. Raju had spoken to a senior police officer while she was still at the CPI(M) area committee office but raised no complaint about forceful detention or about her safety at that point. The police were left surprised when she later in the evening alleged assault and abduction. It was to avoid “further flipflops” that the police decided to record her statement before the Magistrate, sources said.
Published – February 01, 2025 10:38 am IST