Kerala - Kozhikode   

Kottappally clashes: five persons in custody

Kozhikode: The police arrested five persons in connection with the clashes between the Communist Party of India(Marxist) (CPI-M) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) activists at Kottappally in the limits of Vadakara police station in the district on Sunday.

The arrested persons, Babeesh, 24; Ranjith, 23; Sajeevan, 24; Suhail, 22 and Mustafa, 22, were charged with Section 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with weapons), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. Three of them belonged to the CPI(M) and the remaining, IUML.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) observed a hartal at Kottappally on Monday to protest against the incidents. The activists also took out a march in the evening.

The UDF leaders alleged that the CPI(M) activists masterminded the attacks on the shops belonging to the IUML activists. However, the CPI (M) Kottappally local committee refuted the allegations and said that anti-social elements were behind the attacks.

Leaders of both the political parties have started engaging in peace talks to settle the issue amicably. An all-party meeting held on Monday condemned the incident. The situation has been brought under control, the police said.

At least seven persons were injured and eight shopped were damaged in a series of clashes that took place at Kottapally mofussil town in Thiruvallur grama panchayat. The offices of the CPI(M), IUML and the LDF-controlled Kottappally Service Cooperative Bank also came under attack.

The injured have been admitted to the hospital. Several shops were looted during the attacks on Sunday, the police said. Clashes between the rival political parties took place following a minor skirmish between the activists a few days ago. The clashes started on Saturday night and continued on Sunday. The stationery shop of Puthiyotil Ashraf; vegetable shop of C. Hameed; bakery of A. Moidu; provision store of K.V. Ibrahim, a grama panchayat member, were damaged during the clashes.

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