Kalamandalam Sheeba, a renowned dance teacher cannot forget the Shivratri night on March 7, where she along with her son Jishnu was attacked by 6 member moral police gang of youths alleging immoral traffic.
After Darshan at Srekanteswara Temple, famously known as Thali temple, Kozhikode, the mother-son duo were returning to home on a two wheeler. On the way they had food from a roadside eatery, where six youths approached and stared at them. Ignoring the lured remarks, Sheeba and her son continued the journey back, but the gang chased them and intersected the duo with bikes.
“It was 12.30 in the night and we told them who we are, and pleaded not to harass us”. Sheeba told the Organiser. Reluctant to hear the plea, the six member gang attacked the mother-son and fled away. She had noticed the registration number of one of the bikes and filed a case in the Chevayoor police station of Kozhikode District. Amongst six accused, five of them were arrested by the police on the next day itself and the sixth person is absconding.
The arrested persons have been identified as Shamil Aneesh, Subish Surendran, Muhammad Sinoj, Asif Aziz and Jafar Hassan. Threatening calls, stalking by strangers have become routine in her life after this incident. Before registering the FIR, uncle of one of the accused suggested her to slap them with sandal on the face, but not to register the case. “I declined the offer and felts necessary to pursue with the case for the larger cause of our society, especially to women and mothers”, said Sheeba.
An alumnus of the prestigious Deemed University, Kerala Kalamandalam, Sheeba used to travel alone in the night earlier also. “I have never come across anything of this sort before”, said Sheeba.
CPM youth wing workers locked up local Congress leaders alleging ‘immoral activity’
The CPM in Kerala turned red faced as its youth wing, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) activists turned themselves as moral police and harassed two Congress local leaders in Kozhikode District of Kerala. The stubborn woman, who along with the Congress leader was taken by the police, insisted for a medical test that later proved the petty allegation false.
Thruvallur Murali, the Block Panchayat President and KT Bindu, the President of Payyoli Gram Panchayat were surrounded by a mob led by the DYFI activists inside the Congress party office, alleging that both of them were in compromising position.
“They locked the office from outside and began shouting about immoral activity at the office. I was in my room and the woman leader was in another room nearby. We could not leave as the office was locked. The gathering outside the office began to swell,” said Murali.
As commotion got bigger, the police came and took them to the nearby police station and kept them till late in the evening. Instead of registering case against the moral police activity, the police questioned the couple throughout the day. The angry couple demanded a medical examination in order to prove their innocence.
Vadakara Deputy Superintendent of police Prajish Thottathil informed that a case had been registered against 20 men, including DYFI activists. He denied the report that the couple were taken into police custody for illegal activity. The lady who went through this mental trauma, got another blow as the video of the incident was largely circulated through the internet. She approached the Women’s Commission for urgent interference. The CPM district secretary, P Mohanan admitted that the DYFI activists were involved in the incident but surprisingly denied any role by the party in it.
The Home minister in the Congress led UDF Govt in Kerala, Ramesh Chennithala, came under fire from his own party as the police failed to arrest the DYFI activists in the incident. n Anu Narayanan
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