Police use force as Youth Congress protests against Kerala CM
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The Congress' youth wing's protest march to the secretariat demanding the resignation of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over LDF MLA P V Anvar's allegations against top IPS officers in the state turned violent as police used water cannons on the protestors and lathi-charged them.
The state vice-president of the Youth Congress, Abin Varkey, was surrounded by police personnel and brutally beaten, causing injuries to his head, according to visuals shown on TV channels.
Varkey, who was seen bleeding from his head due to the beating, refused to leave the protest site for the hospital and demanded action against a certain police officer.
Several other YC activists were injured in the police action, according to the visuals.
While Varkey refused to budge from the site, YC state president Rahul Mamkootathil was forcibly removed from the area and put in a police bus and taken away despite the protestors efforts to prevent it.
Prior to the area outside the secretariat turning into a battle zone, the YC activists shouted slogans against the Left government, Vijayan, his political secretary P Sasi and ADGP (law and order) M R Ajithkumar.
Mamkootathil alleged that Vijayan, Sasi and the ADGP have turned the secretariat into an underworld hub.
On Wednesday, the Youth Congress had held protests in various parts of Kerala demanding the CM's resignation in connection with the allegations by Anvar against Sasi and some top IPS officers in the state.
The Congress party will carry out a protest march to the secretariat on Friday on the same issue.
Putting the CPI(M)-led government in a spot, Anvar, the MLA from Nilambur, had on Sunday accused Vijayan's political secretary P Sasi and ADGP (Law and Order) Ajith Kumar of breaching trust and failing to discharge their duties honestly.
He had alleged that Kumar tapped ministers' phone conversations, had links with gold smuggling rackets and was involved in serious crimes.
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Surathkal: Body of man from Uttar Pradesh found in sea waters in Kulai
Surathkal: The dead body, identified as that of a 35-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh, Mohammad Qureshi, was found off shore at Kulai, Chitrapur, on Friday evening.
The identity of the man was confirmed using the documents found in the pant pocket, police officers have said.
The cause for death, however, is yet to be ascertained. The police suspect Qureshi to have died when he went for a swim in the sea but have said that it could also be a case of suicide.
A case has been filed at the Surathkal Police Station. Further investigation is underway.
