Kerala - Kannur   

Police open fire to disperse mob

Staff Reporter

KANNUR: The police opened fire in the air to disperse a mob of Left Democratic Front (LDF) workers outside the counting centre at Mattannur here on Tuesday. The police opened three rounds in the air when the LDF workers clashed with workers belonging to the United Democratic Front (UDF) and started throwing stones at the police. Several people, including the police and LDF workers, were injured in the incident.

The trouble started at around 5 p.m. when the Returning Officer at the counting centre, Mattannur Higher Secondary School, admitted the appeal of UDF agents for a re-counting of votes polled in the ward number 2 of the Aralama panchayat where a candidate belonging to the Communist Party of India (CPI) won by a margin of one votes. Opposing this the LDF agents demanded recounting of votes in ward number 9 of the panchayat, where the UDF candidate was declared elected by 10 votes. When the Returning Officer rejected the LDF demand, LDF workers clashed with UDF workers inside the counting centre. LDF workers manhandled Iritty Deputy Superintendent of Police Prakash when he intervened.

The police then used canes to disperse the LDF workers who gathered outside. The police then fired three rounds in the air and exploded an anti-riot grenade to disperse the mob.

As many as 15 LDF workers, who suffered injuries in the attack, have been admitted to the AKG Memorial Hospital. Many police personnel were also injured. In another incident, a Congress worker suffered burn injuries when a cracker exploded. The police said that the palm of the Congress worker, identified as Kuttipuzha Joseph, suffered severe burn injuries in the explosion at Chapparappadavu in the evening.

The police registered a case against CPI(M) MLA M.V. Jayarajan in connection with the incident of destruction of ballot papers and vandalising of three polling booths at St. Joseph's UP School in the Payam panchayat.

The State Election Commission has ordered for re-poll in the three booths on September 30.

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