A day after Congress workers led by Mathew Kuzhalnadan and Ernakulam District Congress Committee president Mohammad Shiyas, staged an emotionally charged protest in Kothamangalam where a woman was crushed to death by a wild elephant on Monday, the Kothamangalam police took Mr. Shiyas to task.
The police had whisked away Mr. Shiyas, who had allegedly abused police personnel and engaged them in a heated argument on Tuesday, from a hotel in the night. They had also booked cases against him. However, a trial court in Kothamangalam released Mr. Shiyas on bail in two cases.
Mr. Shiyas, who came out of the court hall after obtaining bail in two cases on Wednesday afternoon, ran back to the courtroom seeking the intervention of the court against the attempts of the police to arrest him. The police team, which was waiting outside the court hall, had tried him in another case. Later, Mr. Shiyas secured one more bail in the case booked by the police.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) district secretary C.N. Mohanan criticised a section of the media for what he termed as glorifying attempts to forcefully take away the body of the woman from the mortuary before completing inquest proceedings. The media went to the extent of criticising the lawful act of the police in getting back the body to the mortuary for completing legal formalities, he said.
