Thrissur (Ker) (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday came out against the recent violent protests by the anti-seaport agitators in Vizhinjam and said such agitations were with a "clear intention" to destroy tranquility in the society and upset the peaceful life of the people.

There were widespread attacks against the police and public threats to attack the police station but the police force cleverly realised the intention of the assailants, he said, addressing the passing out parade of a new batch of women police constables here via online.

The Chief Minister was breaking his silence over the violent attack on the local police station as part of the ongoing protest by the local fishermen community under the aegis of the Latin Church.

"We have seen that certain agitators had switched to the path of violence with a clear intention to destroy the tranquility in the society and upset the peaceful life of the people. As part of that, there were attacks against the police and open threats to attack the police station," Vijayan said.

Appreciating the police personnel for the handling of the issue, he said their courageous restraint was the reason why things did not turn out the way the attackers intended.

Fisherfolk of Vizhinjam and other coastal areas have been protesting for more than four months against the under-construction seaport, and also led to violence on November 26 and 27.

The protesters attacked Vizhinjam police station on the night of November 27, injuring several policemen.

The state police on Wednesday said that investigation has not reached a stage to suggest involvement of any extremist groups in the recent incidents of violence at Vizhinjam here.

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New Delhi (PTI): The CBI has arrested Kamlesh Parekh, a fugitive wanted in a 10-year-old Rs 2,672 crore bank fraud case, after his extradition from the UAE, officials said on Saturday.

Parekh, wanted in the bank fraud case filed against Shree Ganesh Jewellery House (I) Ltd, Kolkata, was extradited from the UAE on Friday, they said.

The CBI had registered the case in 2016 against the company and others for allegedly cheating a consortium of 25 banks to the tune of Rs 2,672 crore.

“The agency had chargesheeted Parekh, the promoter of the company who had been absconding since the probe began, on December 31, 2022,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

“An open-ended non-bailable warrant was issued against him in 2019, while a Red Corner Notice was issued through Interpol in 2024. The authorities in the UAE detained him on the basis of the said notice after which he was extradited to India,” the statement said.