Hartal turns violent; three cops suspended

After residents blocked the

National Highway

at

Varapuzha

with the body of deceased Sreejith demanding action against the cops, three officers who took the victim into custody were placed under suspension on Tuesday night.

The suspended officers are Jithin Raj, Santosh Kumar and Sumesh, all of them attached to the Kalamassery AR camp.

The officers have been suspended on account of official misconduct.

The protest over the custodial torture escalated on Tuesday night as residents and BJP workers refused to leave and continued blocking the NH. This forced the Rural SP and the district collector to reach the spot and announce that police officers have been suspended to pacify the protesters. Protesters thronged the SNDP junction at Varapuzha even before the ambulance from Alapuzha medical college carrying the body of Sreejith arrived here. Soon, they staged a sit-in protest raising slogans against the cops. District collector K Muhammed Y Safirulla along with the

Ernakulam

rural police superintendent A V George rushed to the spot and promised stern action. The agitators decided to disperse only after this and the body of Sreejith was taken to his residence for the last rites.

Earlier in the day, tense situation prevailed at Varapuzha as the hartal called by the BJP in

North Paravur

constituency in protest to the custodial death of Sreeith S R (26)--a BJP supporter due to alleged custodial torture-turned violent.

The town came to a standstill as shops remained closed while most of the people chose to remain indoors, fearing violence. The protests began as early by 7.30 in the morning with the protesters blocking the National Highway at around 8.30am near the Varapuzha bridge.

Long-distance travellers were the most affected as they got stuck and were rerouted. Cops, facing allegation of custodial death, remained mute spectators.

An attempt to negotiate their way through the blockade by a family of four resulted in violence in the morning. A man who claimed that he was taking an infant to the hospital picked up a quarrel with the protesters. He was severely thrashed by the mob after the argument.

Several other motorists also had arguments with protesters who did not allow them to go past the blockade. A few college students, who had approached the protesters seeking their cooperation to help them appear for an examination at a city college, were also turned away. Glasses of a car was also smashed by the protesters during the hartal.

Varappuzha police have registered two cases for rioting and assault in connection with the hartal. A case was registered for the assault on a person, who attempted to take his baby to the hospital while the second case was in relation to the protest march taken out to the police station, said sources.


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