‘Treated like criminal’: Video of police action on man questioning collection at Arikady toll viral
Kasaragod: A video showing police allegedly manhandling a vehicle user who questioned toll collection at the Arikady toll gate in Kumble has gone viral on social media, triggering sharp criticism and allegations of police excess.
Toll collection at the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) toll gate in Arikady was resumed on Wednesday after the Kerala High Court adjourned the hearing on a petition challenging the levy. However, resistance to the toll continues among vehicle users in the region.
According to local accounts, the incident occurred on Wednesday evening when a man travelling with his family questioned toll staff about the collection. Police personnel who intervened allegedly pulled him out of the car and manhandled him in full view of his family members. Those present accused the police of treating the man like a criminal for merely raising questions over the toll.
A video clip of the incident has since spread widely on social media, with several users alleging human rights violations and misuse of force by the police.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) Manjeshwara unit has also accused the Kumble Police of assaulting the man in front of his family for questioning the toll collection. The unit announced plans to stage a protest outside the Kumble Police Station on Thursday evening in response to the incident.
The Kerala High Court had been expected to deliver its order on Wednesday on the legality of toll collection at Arikady. However, the hearing was adjourned to February 11 after the counsel representing NHAI failed to appear before the court. During the proceedings, the court reportedly raised questions over shortcomings in the actions of NHAI and sought an explanation for the hurried implementation of toll collection at the site.
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Boat carrying 250 people, including Rohingya and Bangladeshis, sinks in Andaman Sea
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Dhaka (AP): At least 250 people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals, were missing after a boat capsized in the Andaman Sea recently on the way to Malaysia, according to the United Nations' refugee and migration agencies.
When the boat sank and the status of any search Wednesday were unclear.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration in a joint statement said Tuesday that the trawler departed from Teknaf in the southern Bangladeshi district of Cox's Bazar carrying a large number of passengers to Malaysia.
Overcrowding, strong winds and rough seas caused the vessel to lose control and sink, the agencies said.
UNHCR and IOM said the disappearance reflected the protracted displacement of Rohingya people and the absence of durable solutions.
They said ongoing violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state has made the Rohingyas' safe return to Myanmar uncertain, and limited humanitarian assistance, restricted access to education and employment in refugee camps, continue to push vulnerable Rohingya refugees to choose risky sea journeys, often based on false promises of higher wages and better opportunities abroad.
UNHCR and IOM urged the international community to strengthen funding and solidarity to ensure lifesaving assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, which has sheltered more than 1 million Rohingya from Myanmar.
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