Kollam: BJP general secretary K Surendran, who was arrested while on his way to Sabarimala recently, has been taken to Kannur from the Kottarakara sub-jail. He was taken to the northern district after a production warrant was issued against him for threatening officers during an earlier march towards the SP office. BJP workers got into a minor scuffle with the police officers outside the Kottarakara jail as Surendran was being escorted out.
Surendran alleged that he was being named as an accused even in cases he was not involved. "I am not scared to go to Kannur. It is the land of brave martyrs," he said.
He was taken into preventive custody earlier at Nilakkal, a base camp for Sabarimala pilgrims, after he refused to go back despite a request from the police. He was produced before a local court at Ranni in Pathanamthitta and remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. Later he was granted conditional bail. Subsequently, he was arrested in the case relating to violence at Sanndihanam when a 52-year-old woman, who had come for a ritual of her grandchild, was blocked and allegedly attacked.
A court in Pathanamitta had on Saturday denied bail to the BJP leader in the case over Sabarimala protests. The court denied bail saying that the case was related to Section 308 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and also has conspiracy charges.
While denying him bail, the court, however, allowed Surendran to talk to his family members through phone in the presence of the jail superintendent. The police were also granted permission to question the BJP leader for one hour.
Meanwhile, BJP leader M T Ramesh courted controversy Saturday after allegedly threatening police over Surendran's arrest. "Until Surendran comes out of jail, we will not allow any policeman to come out on the road from their station," Ramesh said at a protest meeting at Kozhikode.
There were reports suggesting that V Muraleedharan, MP, might raise Surendran's arrest with BJP's national leadership.
Sabarimala had witnessed a series of protests from a section of devotees over the state government's decision to implement the September 28 order of the Supreme Court, allowing entry of women of all age groups into the shrine.
