Sabarimala protests: BJP leader K Surendran denied bail
Pathanamthitta/Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 24: A court in Kerala on Saturday denied bail to BJP state general secretary K Surendran in a case of alleged involvement in violent protests at Sabarimala earlier this month.
Surendran was arrested earlier this week from Nilackal, the base camp of Sabarimala, after he refused to go back despite a request from the police.
He was produced before a local court at Ranni in Pathanamthitta and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. Later he was granted conditional bail.
Subsequently, he was arrested in the case relating to violence at Sannidhanam when a 52-year-old woman, who had come for the 'choroonu' (rice feeding ceremony) of her grandchild, was blocked and allegedly attacked.
While denying him bail Saturday, the court, however, allowed Surendran to talk to his family members through phone in the presence of the jail superintendent.
Police were also granted permission to question the BJP leader for one hour this evening.
Sabarimala had witnessed violent protests from a section of devotees over the state government's decision to implement the September 28 order of the Supreme Court, allowing entry of women of all age groups into the shrine.
The court denied bail to the BJP leader, saying that the case was related to Section 308 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and also has conspiracy charges.
Meanwhile, BJP leader M T Ramesh courted controversy Saturday after allegedly threatening police over Surendran's arrest.
"Until Surendran comes out of jail, we will not allow any policeman to come out on the road from their station," Ramesh said at a protest meeting at Kozhikode.
There were reports suggesting that V Muraleedharan, MP, might approach BJP national leaders on the issue of Surendran's arrest.
Meanwhile, Rahul Easwar, President of Ayyappa Dharma Sena, who was arrested following protests at the hill shrine and later released, was not allowed to go to the sannidhanam (the main temple complex).
He said he would move the high court and come to the shrine to offer prayers.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
