Thiruvananthapuram: Several incidents of violence were reported during the state-wide dawn-dusk hartal declared by the Popular Front of India (PFI) on Friday. The Kerala High Court on Friday took a case against PFI suo moto for the hartal for violating its ruling. The HC also asked the state government to curb the violence immediately.
The court also asked the state administration to take stern action against those who violate the court order banning hartals. The court said hartal was banned by it earlier and the destruction of the public property cannot be accepted. It asked the government to use all possible means to stop any form of violence.
The Kerala Police has said action will be taken on those who attempt to close shops by use of force during the hartal. They will be arrested immediately, the police said in a release. State police chief Anil Kant has directed district chiefs to prohibit gathering of hartal supporters in public places and to go for preventive custody if needed. The entire police force will be pressed into action to prevent untoward incidents during the 12-hour hartal, the Kerala Police media cell informed.
The hartal supporters unleashed an attack against KSRTC buses, passengers in private vehicles and police in many regions. Police took a few hartal supporters into custody for creating violence across the state. In Kannur, some protesters hurled a petrol bomb at a bike rider. The bike rider who suffered injuries was rushed to a nearby hospital. Stones were also hurled at vehicles in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts.
A KSRTC driver suffered eye injury near Kozhikode Civil Station when stones were hurled at the bus he was driving. He has been taken to the General Hospital. Another KSRTC driver was injured in the stone pelting which took place on the National Highway near Cheruvannur steel complex in Kozhikode. The driver, Siji, was admitted to a privae hospital nearby.
In a shocking incident, a hartal supporter riding a bike hit police officers at Pallimukku in Kollam. Senior civil police officer Antony and CPO Nikhil sustained injuries in the attack. The incident happened when the cops were attempting to stop the protesters who were showering abuses at the passengers. The accused has been identified as Koottikkada native Shamnad. Windows of several KSRTC buses were shattered in Pandalam and Vakayar of Pathanamthitta district. Private vehicles were attacked in Karunagappally on Friday morning.
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