KOCHI: The police even after seeing the accused involved in abducting CPM woman councilor Kala Raju of Koothattukulam Municipality, in front of their eyes, behave as if they have not seen them. The protest programme staged by the CPM in Koothattukulam, was attended by the first five accused. The first accused and area secretary P B Ratheesh presided over the function.
CPM district secretary C N Mohanan inaugurated the meet. The other accused in the case municipal chairperson Vijaya Sivan, vice chairman Sunny Kuriakose, left councilor Suma Vishwambharan and local secretary Febish George also attended the function. Febish George welcomed the gathering and Sunny Kuriakose gave the vote of thanks. Although a large police contingent was present at the meeting venue until the meeting ended, they stood as mute spectators.
It was alleged that the CPM workers abducted their own councilor, when she came to attend the discussion on the no-confidence motion moved by the UDF, on Saturday. She was taken to the CPM area committee office and they later admitted her to the hospital with injuries.
Kala Raju then came forward and alleged that CPM workers had kidnapped her. She said that she was forcibly pushed into the car. All this happened in front of the public. When my leg got stuck in the car, they threatened to chop off my legs. When she asked them to take her to the hospital and wanted to see her children, they said should need the permission of the area secretary.
Some unruly scenes were witnessed in the assembly in connection with the incident. The opposition asked in the assembly as whether stripping a widow is women's safety in Kerala. Opposition leader V D Satheesan said the woman was threatened by her own party. He asked the CM whether his view on defection was not applicable to people switching sides to the CPM. The opposition staged a walkout from the house demanding that the real culprits be arrested and action be taken against the police for their act.