Investigation team took 10 to 15 “Maoist sympathisers” into custody
Police officers inspecting the vandalised Nitta Gelatin office in Kochi on Monday. (Photo: DC)
Kochi: The Special Squad probing the Nitta Gelatin office attack case, slapped charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against nine unidentified men who vandalised the corporate office of the Indo-Japanese venture located in Kochi.
“We’ve decided to slap the charges since we suspect that a certain banned unregistered organisation was behind the attack. However, we can’t yet confirm whether Maoists are directly involved or not. Also the fact that we’ve recovered a letter claiming it to be the work of CPI (Maoists), allows us to go ahead with the action,” said a senior Special Branch officer.
The investigation team, meanwhile, took ten to 15 “Maoist sympathisers” into custody for questioning. “They are being questioned on the suspicion that they aided the attackers. No arrest has been made yet and hence their names can’t be revealed. Earlier too, we questioned such people and released then on finding no links with the attack,” said City Police Commissioner K.G. James, who is leading the probe.
Invoking UAPA charges would mean the police could ensure that the accused don’t get bail for up to 180 days and more importantly, won’t be able to hand over the case to specialized agencies like the NIA.
The Special Squad has expanded its probe to other districts after reaching the preliminary conclusion that the members of the gang were from outside the district. Meanwhile, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the Maoist angle was yet to be confirmed though the police had reliable intelligence inputs on Maoist presence in certain districts.
Porattom, considered to be a pro-Maoist outfit, has acknowledged that the attack against the corporate office of Nitta Gelatin in Kochi on Monday was the handiwork of Maoists.
In a statement given to select mediapersons, P.J. Manuel, Porattom general convener, “hailed” the attack and termed it as a “warning against the government for ignoring or oppressing mass movements by the people for survival.”
“The Maoist party had owned up the responsibility for the attack through pamphlets,” the statement said. Porattom accused the company of causing serious ecological damage by exploitation of water from Chalakudy river and dumping toxic effluents to the river. “The incidence of cancer in the region is 10 times higher than that in other places,” it alleged.
The company is processing 120 tonnes of animal bones using hydrochloric acid per day to extract ingredients widely used in pharmaceutical industry. The effluents generated by the process are dumped in the river. The statement alleged that the company posed a threat to public health similar to the threat posed by the Union Carbide plant at Bhopal and Coca Cola plant at Palchimada.
The statement also alleged that Swapnesh Babu, state convener of Njattuvela, a cultural organisation, and his friend E.A. George were illegally taken into custody by a police team on Tuesday morning.
Attack on Nitta Gelatin a terror act: BJP
The BJP on Tuesday condemned the attack on the office of Nitta Gelatin in Kochi, terming it as a terror act. In a statement, BJP state general secretary A.N. Radhakrishnan said that it went against the democratic culture of the state and should be nipped in the bud. He suspected that the attack was part of a larger design by Maoist organisations to create anarchy in the state with the support of some people from other states.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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