Jackfruit vendor Senthil Roy (in picture) was hospitalized after the attack by secretary of CPM’s Naduthottam ... Read More

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A local CPM leader at Parassala was arrested by police on Thursday on charges of attempt to murder for allegedly subjecting a man to brutal assault for questioning extortion.

Pradeep, 29, of Naduthottam under Parassala police station limits is the secretary of CPM's Naduthottam branch. The complainant, Senthil Roy alias Reji, 39, of Valanvila near Injivila under Parassala police station limits is being treated at Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital. Roy, a jackfruit vendor, has sustained five broken ribs, a fracture on skull and injuries on lungs, police said.

Parassala police station house officer inspector S M Riyaz said as per the statement of the complainant, he was assaulted by a group of men, including Pradeep, during the early hours of January 1 at Valanvila after he refused to give them money for buying beverages for New Year celebrations. They kicked him down and ran an autorickshaw over his body, inflicting serious injuries on his ribcage.

"The complainant mentioned four people whom he could identify and three men, whom he could not identify. Pradeep was one among those identified. Hence, we took him into custody and recorded his arrest. A search is on for the remaining assailants,'' the inspector said.

Though the alleged attack took place around 1am on Wednesday, police received the information only by the evening. On the same night, they visited the complainant at the hospital and recorded his statement following which a case was registered. On Thursday, around 11am, they detained Pradeep and simultaneously made arrangements to record the sworn statement of the complainant by a local magistrate under provisions of section 164 of CrPC owing to the serious nature of the case as the accused was a local leader of the ruling party. They also moved Pradeep to a secret location anticipating protests from his party workers.

Meanwhile, the CPM local leadership of Parassala cried foul over the arrest of Pradeep. Speaking to TOI, CPM Parassala local committee secretary R Biju said Pradeep was not even there at the crime scene when it occurred. "Pradeep has been on the forefront of activities related to curbing substance mafia in the locality. The people who attacked Roy are members of substance mafia. There are people, including elderly persons returning from church, who witnessed the attack. According to them, it was just two men who assaulted Roy, and Pradeep was not there,'' Biju said.

