NIA makes one more arrest in UAPA case

NIA makes one more arrest in UAPA case
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Kozhikode: One more person has been arrested in connection with a controversial case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act over the alleged Maoist links of a few youths.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Vijith Vijayan, 27, who is the fourth accused in the case and a resident of Puzhamudi in Wayanad district. The arrest was recorded after summoning him to the NIA camp office at Kalpetta.

The NIA claims that he has links with Allan Shuhaib and Taha Fasal, who are the first and second accused in the case.

The third accused in the case C P Usman is yet to be arrested.

Vijith will be taken to NIA headquarters in Kochi for further questioning. NIA suspects that Vijith played a crucial role in linking up Allan and Taha with banned organisations.

The NIA had taken Vijith and two of his friends in custody in May 2020. They were arrested after raids at their rented house in Peruva. However, they were initially let off after questioning.

Vijith, a B.tech graduate, had been teaching at a tuition centre at Cherukulathoor in Kozhikode district.

It may be recalled that the Kerala High Court had rejected the bail of Taha. However, Allan Shuhaib’s bail was not cancelled.

The case was initially registered on November 1, 2019, in Kozhikode city after the police recovered documents and propaganda material supporting CPI (Maoist) from Shuhaib and Fazal, while they were conducting a meeting with Usman, who escaped.

The case, also known as the Pantheerankavu Maoist case, was re-registered by the NIA Kochi unit later.

Both CPM and its ally CPI had slammed Kerala's Left Democratic Front government over invoking UAPA in the case. As reported earlier, it triggered an uproar against the state government and the Home Department, which is headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself, from various quarters. Even the functionaries of the ruling CPM is reportedly divided on the issue.

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