Some of the suspects involved in the alleged attack on security guards at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, are reportedly mobilising political support to forestall possible police action against them. Five of the accused have surrendered, while two are still at large.
Those who came out in support of the security guards said the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) had taken a stand that “innocent persons” and their family members were being targeted in the name of investigation into the incident.
“There is no logic in the argument that innocent persons are being targeted by the police. CCTVs have already brought the truth to light, and no innocent persons are on the police radar,” said a member of the Kozhikode District Ex-Servicemen and Ex-CAPF Coordination Committee, which organised a protest march to the office of the District Police Chief (Kozhikode City) on Thursday seeking stringent action in the case. He said no responsible political parties or youth organisations would support such persons if they understood the trauma faced by the three injured guards.
An eyewitness said there were deliberate attempts to protect the accused as some of them were active members and leaders of the DYFI. “The police could not arrest anyone till date as five of the accused were just surrendering themselves before the squad as directed by their leaders. It becomes an issue only when the police try to arrest the other suspects who are at large, unmindful of the political pressure,” he said.
Meanwhile, DYFI district committee leaders P.C. Shyju and L.G. Lijeesh, who issued a statement on Thursday alleging hostile action on the part of the police against “innocent persons”, said they would approach the Police Complaints Authority seeking action against officers “who even threatened an expectant mother in a hotel in the name of the investigation”. Complaints would also be submitted to the Chief Minister seeking stringent action against the officers, they said.
Three security guards and a journalist were allegedly assaulted by a gang of persons at the medical college entrance on August 31. The guards were allegedly beaten up as they declined to facilitate the entry of a DYFI leader to the hospital without a visitor’s pass. The gang reportedly tried to attack the journalist when he tried to capture the incident on his mobile phone camera.
