Kochi: The Chief Judicial Magistrate in Ernakulam has acquitted CPM leader V A Zakir Hussain and four others in a case pertaining to the 2015 abduction of an industrialist.
Besides prime accused Hussain, second to fourth accused persons DYFI leader Karukappally Siddique, Thammanam Faizal and Sheela Thomas were those acquitted.
The accused were arrested for abducting and threatening an industrialist. It was alleged that Hussain directed the second and third accused to abduct the man to end disputes he had with Sheela Thomas.
All witnesses had turned hostile during the trial.
The court observed that the prosecution utterly failed in proving the crime, and the police could not produce any evidence against the accused. Though the accused were charged with criminal conspiracy, issuing threat and assault, the prosecution could not prove any of the charges, the court said.
Hussain was the former Kalamassery area secretary and Ernakulam district committee member of the CPM. Early this year CPM had revoked his suspension over charges of amassing wealth disproportionate to his assets.
