Cops invoked UAPA in five cases in 2019
In 2019 alone the police in different parts of the state registered five cases under UAPA and all of them are linked with Maoist activities.
KOCHI: Although the CPM state secretariat on Sunday claimed that the LDF government in Kerala has been following a policy of not permitting the police to frame cases under UAPA, the ground situation appears different. In 2019 alone the police in different parts of the state registered five cases under UAPA and all of them are linked with Maoist activities.
A case under Section 18, 20, 38 and 39 of the UAPA has been registered by the Feroke police station in Kozhikode for pasting election boycott posters of the CPI (Maoist). The matter is still under investigation although nobody has been arrested in the case.
A case against C.P. Nahas and Sreekanth was registered at the Pandikkad police station in Malappuram district under Section 39 of UAPA for demanding registration of an FIR against police officials involved in the encounter death of C.P. Jaleel, a Maoist activist at Vythiri in Wayanad. Nahas and Srikanth are associated with Purogamana Yuvajana Prasthanam and the case is under investigation.
The case registered in Nilmabur police station against Janakeeya Manushayvakasa Prastha-nam under Section 38 and 39 of UAPA concerns with pasting posters demanding investigation into the killing of C.P. Jaleel as per the guidelines of Supreme Court verdict.
Lukman Pallikandy was arrested by Iritty police and remanded for nearly two months before the High Court granted him bail, over pasting poster of Purogamana Yuvajana Prasthanam. He was also slapped with UAPA Sections 38 and 39. The Aralam police has also filed a case against Mr. Pallikandy for a similar offence with charges under Section 38 and 39 of UAPA. Both cases are under investigation.
According to rights activists, 165 UAPA cases existed when the LDF government came to power and out of this 42 have been cancelled by the police on the directive of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.