ALAPPUZHA: Two members of a hooch-brewing gang were arrested on Thursday by Mavelikara excise personnel for assaulting five of its officials, including the excise range officer, during a raid at Verenikkal near Maveliakara, on Wednesday night. Range officer P. Sivarasad, 48, who sustained spinal injury, is being treated at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapurm. Preventive officers Sathish, 43, Ajithkumar, 43, and civil excise officials Babu Daniel,42, and Anilkumar,34 were injured in the attack.
The accused have been identified as Sreekumar, 48, LIC Colony, Chooralloor, Thekkekara, and Manoj, 43, Shivaprasad Bhavan, Chooralloor, Thekkekara. A case has been registered against Manoj, brother of Sreekumar. The gang assaulted them under his leadership. He is absconding. The incident took place at LIC Colony while the excise team launched a raid after receiving a tip-off.
When they seized the brewing equipment from Sreekumar’s house, a gang led by Manoj attacked them with metal rods and wooden planks, an excise official said. The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court , Mavelikara, and remanded in judicial custody.
