Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Thursday granted bail to CPM leader V. A. Zakir Hussain, the accused in an abduction case, on the execution of a bond for Rs 1 lakh and two solvent sureties for the like sum. The court restrained Mr Hussain from entering the Palarivattom police station limits for the next six weeks and asked him to appear before the investigating officer on all Wednesdays. The state government argued that the investigation was not yet completed and the fourth accused Sheela Thomas is still absconding.
The court, however, observed that continued detention was not required. The prosecution case is that he as per the instance of Ms Thomas kidnapped one Juby Paulose. Police registered an FIR after Mr Poulose, a young businessman, lodged a complaint against him and others claiming that at the behest of Ms Thomas, a dairy owner based in Kangarappady, they abducted him and threatened. Police registered the case on October 27. The CPM leader surrendered before the police on November 17 after absconding for nearly 21 days. This is the first arrest made by the Special Task Force of the police formed after reports of cities coming under the grip of goons.
