Thiruvananthapuram, June 10: The Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, V.V. Rajesh, announced on Wednesday that the BJP will fight politically and legally regarding the case involving Councillor R. Sugathan. He accused the police of creating unnecessary tension during the arrest operation at Sugathan’s residence.
Mayor Rajesh stated that the police’s actions were excessively aggressive and could have been avoided. He claimed that an officer fired shots into the air merely to create chaos, and that the police had not provided any information regarding the KAPPA case.
On Tuesday night, the Vattiyurkavu police arrested BJP Councillor Sugathan at his home following a disturbance and sent him to central jail. He is the first sitting councillor to be imprisoned under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act (KAPPA). The district collector had previously ordered Sugathan’s preventive detention under this act.
A new case has also been filed against him for allegedly assaulting the police officers who came to arrest him. This arrest is linked to an attempted murder case stemming from a brawl during a temple festival two months ago.
Sugathan had sought anticipatory bail from the High Court, but his petition was rejected, and he was instructed to appear before the investigating officer by June 7. Sugathan failed to present himself within the stipulated time and was untraceable.
The police reported receiving a tip-off that Sugathan had returned to his home in Vazhuthukonam, prompting a police team led by CI Vipin to arrive at the scene. However, his supporters gathered outside the house and surrounded the police team, preventing them from taking Sugathan. The situation escalated when the police faced opposition from the crowd.
Later, the CI fired shots into the air to disperse the crowd, after which Sugathan was taken into custody. The police allege that during the arrest attempt, Sugathan and his brother assaulted CI Vipin and SI Abhijit, resulting in injuries to both officers. Sugathan, however, denied these allegations, asserting that he was undergoing treatment for chickenpox and was not in hiding.
He claimed that the police entered his home without a female officer and assaulted him, his wife, and his son. His wife, Ashwathi, also alleged that the police mistreated Sugathan, frightened the children, and created a climate of terror inside their home.
She recounted that when their eight-year-old child began to cry, he was pushed aside. The police dismissed these allegations, stating that force was only used when Sugathan and his brother attacked the officers, and that shots were fired in self-defense to control the situation.
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