Feature Image Credits: Janmabhumi.in
Kerala Police apprehended activists affiliated with the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) who had assaulted RSS workers returning home after the Vijayadashami procession in Karunagapalli, Kollam. The individuals detained have a history of criminal activities, reports The Hindu Post.
The Karunagapally police arrested three individuals in connection with the incident: Naufal (26) from Karunagapally Thazhava, Yasim (24) from Kulasekharapuram Siya Mansil, and Ajmal (23) from Thazhava. These individuals had assaulted Akshay Kumar, Madhun Lal, and Kiran from Punnamkulam, who were RSS workers returning home after the RSS procession. Akshay Kumar suffered significant injuries, including a broken arm, and was admitted to Karunagappally Taluk Hospital. Both Akshay and other witnesses provided statements to the police.
The SDPI activists were identified based on witness accounts and circumstantial evidence. After the police arrested the members of the Islamist group, it emerged that Naufal and Ajmal who had been accused in several criminal cases had evaded capture by fleeing to Goa and Karnataka. This time, the police took precautionary measures at various railway stations and bus terminals to prevent the accused from escaping to other states. Despite the accused turning off their cell phones, the Karunagappally police successfully located their hiding place and apprehended them, detaining the SDPI members in Kayamkulam, 15 km north of Karunagapally.
The situation had the potential to escalate into a significant law and order issue, prompting a cautious but swift police intervention. Investigators are also exploring the possibility of any underlying conspiracies related to the incident.
A team led by Karunagapally Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Pradeep Kumar, along with Police Inspector Biju V and Sub-Inspectors Shameer and Shajimon, was responsible for the arrests.
In a related incident earlier this month, crude bombs were thrown at the residence of an RSS worker in Thalassery, Kannur, causing damage to the property and a parked car. These incidents highlight the continued tensions between RSS and SDPI/PFI affiliates in the region.
It’s worth noting that the PFI was banned last year, and subsequent investigations have revealed the organization’s involvement in well-planned criminal activities. According to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), PFI activists received training in firearms in Karunagappally, Kollam district, Kerala. The NIA uncovered this crucial information during the interrogation of Abdul Sattar, the State General Secretary of the banned organization.
In late September 2022, Sattar was taken into custody at the Karunya Trust office in Karunagapally. He was the primary accused in an illegal hartal organized to protest the PFI ban, which led to acts of violence and arson. As a result, Sattar’s property, including a two-story house and 13 cents of land, was attached following a court order, due to the delayed recovery of damages caused by PFI terrorists.
SDPI serves as the political arm of the banned Islamist extremist group known as the Popular Front of India (PFI). SDPI has councilors in all southern states and is in alliances with the Congress and leftist groups and over the years it has used violence to make its point against it.
Already, the state law and order situation is being questioned by many people in Kerala as such attacks have increased on RSS and anyone who speaks against the government or SDPI.
(With inputs from Hindu Post)
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