The Hindu : Students lathicharged in Kozhikode

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Students lathicharged in Kozhikode

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE JULY 8. The police today lathicharged and used tear-gas against pro-Left students who marched to the office of the Deputy Director of Education (DDE) here in protest against the education policy of UDF Government.

The students allegedly tried to break off the police-cordon and stoned the police. They also beat the police personnel with flagpoles in the afternoon when the police caned them. When their efforts to disperse them failed, the police opened fire and threw shells of tear gas at them. Some of the students dispersed on the burst of tear-gas and the rest were lathicharged.

As many as six police personnel and 10 students were admitted to various hospitals in the city with injuries. A vehicle of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) was attacked by the students at Palayam. A police jeep was damaged.A large posse of police party led by the City Police Commissioner, T K Vinodkumar, arrived on the scene and forcibly arrested the students. They were taken to the Armed Reserve (AR) police camp at Maloorkunnu.

This led to tension in the heart of the city as CPI(M) and DYFI leaders marched to the commissioner's office at 3 p.m. Traffic was blocked in several parts of the city.

The leaders demanded talks with the commissioner, who assured them that the arrested students would be presented before the court. The protesting CPI(M) and DYFI cadres later dispersed.

Later, the arrested students were presented before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court here. The court remanded 37 students including eight girls for 15 days. A CITU march in the evening in protest against the arrest of students turned violent. Glasses of three Maruti cars and a Qualis van were smashed on the Link Road. The Kasaba Circle Inspector, Unnikrishnan, assistant sub-inspector and four constables were injured in the stoning.

Lathicharge

Our Special Correspondent writes from Kochi:

Student organisations of Left parties protesting against the education policy held demonstrations throughout the district today. Agitating students were lathicharged at Muvattupuzha.

Seven students including the SFI district joint secretary, N Arun, received injuries in the police lathicharge and had to be hospitalised. The attack occurred when the students marching in protest from near the KSRTC bus stand were prevented in front of the taluk office gates by the police. Two constables who received injuries were treated at the hospital and later discharged.

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Students lathicharged in Kozhikode