MALAPPURAM: CPM has sought an explanation from MLA PV Anwar who staged a sit-in in front of SP S Sasidharan's official residence (camp office). It is indicated that Anwar was summoned by the district leadership. Anwar protested from 10 am to 12 noon yesterday demanding that the crime branch investigate under the observation of the court the cutting of the trees in the camp office.

Anwar also alleged that ADGP Ajitkumar, who is in charge of law and order, and former Malappuram SP Sujith Das made furniture for their houses by cutting the trees. The CPM district leadership intervened and ended the strike when the Home Department was implicated in this allegation.

PV Anwar and N Sreejith, a resident of Kollam Kadakka, had lodged a complaint with the SP alleging that trees had been cut. Anwar also demanded that action should be taken against Malappuram SP who did not take action in this regard. The policeman on security duty had stopped the MLA who came to the camp office demanding an investigation into the tree-cutting. Earlier, PV Anwar had verbally abused S Sasidharan at the Police Association conference.

Don't drag me into this - Sujith

Following the allegations, the phone conversation between Sujith Das and PV Anwar also came out. Pathanamthitta district police chief Sujith Das's request was not to drag his name into the tree-cutting case. Sujith requested Anwar to withdraw the complaint. "The current SP is a person who harasses those who worked with him. I was happy when you spoke against him in the conference," said Sujith. When Anwar asked how the teak, whose price was fixed at Rs 56,000 by Social Forestry, was being auctioned at Rs 20,000, Sujith replied that others had misled the MLA. Sujith said that only the mahogany branches on the top of the house were cut. However, Anwar did not take this at face value.