Kerala   

Police foil station attack

In mourning: People paying their last respects to James Augustine, headmaster of ALP School, Valillapuzha, at his house at Thottumukkam on Sunday.

MALAPPURAM: Tension prevailed at Areekode on Sunday following the police action on a mob that attacked the areekode police station on Saturday night in the wake of the death of a lower primary school headmaster.

Eight police personnel, including a circle inspector and a sub-inspector, were injured in the stone-throwing by the mob.

A large crowd of people marched to the Areekode Police Station on Saturday night demanding action against sub-inspector Hidayatullah who had allegedly failed to take action against the Muslim Youth League workers who unleashed violence at a cluster training for teachers, which led to the death of James Augustine, headmaster of ALP School, Valillapuzha. Mr. Hidayatullah had even let off some Youth League workers involved in the violence without registering any case against them.

The crowd, consisting mostly of Communist Party of India-Marxist activists, started hurling stones at the police station soon after they reached the premises. A small team of police personnel led by Deputy Superintendent of Police M.R. Maniyan parried the attack by lobbing tear-gas grenades and rubber bullets. Thirteen grenades and five rubber bullets were used against the mob.

Police later chased the crowds away with canes. Several people were caught unawares in the lathi-charge. A few shops were also damaged in the police action.

Cases were registered against 500-odd persons for attacking the police station.

The hartal called by the Left Democratic Front in Malappuram district on Sunday turned out to be incident-free.

Private buses and cabs did not operate. But KSRTC plied extra services. Most shops remained closed.

People said the hartal did not make a big difference as it was a holiday.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Visa cheating case: police suspect bigger racket
Headmaster’s death; 11 taken into custody
Weighing the pros and cons of mobile phone ban on school campuses
Next issue
Holiday for CBSE, ICSE schools
UEIL to manufacture water meters
Visa cheating: bigger racket suspected
Taking a break
Bringing to light their demand
Campus Notes
Police university sought
Police foil station attack
Bitta visits Guruvayur
Teachers protest against attacks
Bid to divert attention from controversy: UDF
Headmaster mourned
Oath-taking
Water supply
CAMPUS NOTES

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu