Thiruvananthapuram: The police late on Monday night arrested Anand, an RSS worker from Valiyavila, in connection with the attack on Thiruvananthapuram mayor V.K. Prasanth in corporation office on Saturday. Anand was standing in front of the mayor on the stairs when the latter tripped after BJP councillor V.G. Girikumar allegedly caught hold of his legs. The police has booked 20 BJP councillors and six unidentified persons for attempt to murder under IPC section 307 but has not effected the arrest of others. Other main accused are BJP councillors Vijayakumar V., Kodunganoor Hari, K. Anilkumar, V. Giri, Beena R. C. and R. Sanil Kumar (Pappanamcode Saji).
The police who visited Attukal Devi Institute of Medical Sciences to arrest the other BJP leaders returned empty-handed after BJP workers up a stiff resistance, saying that they will not allow an arrest if the case is charged under IPC 307, which is non-bailable and can even attract life imprisonment. BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan visited the state police chief in this regard, they said. But circle inspector K.S. Prashanth said that the police visited the hospital only to note down the statements of BJP councillors. Police sources said they are still collecting the evidence and needed to ascertain facts before proceeding further.
Mr Girikumar is the prime accused in the case registered under IPC sections 143, 147, 149, 120B, 341, 323, 353, 332 and 307. He has filed a complaint against the mayor, his PA Jinraj, LDF councillors Palayam Rajan, Poonkulam Satyan and I.P. Binu accusing them of assaulting him and two BJP councillors M. Lakshmi and R.C. Beena. The case charged against the mayor is under IPC section 143, 147, 149, 341 and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt). Officials at the Museum police station said they had taken the statements of the mayor, the councillors and staff that were present during the incident. Circle inspector Prashanth collected medical reports from Government Medical College Hospital.
