Former panchayat president arrested for destroying plaque devoid of his name

Thiruvananthapuram: Vellanad Sasi, former president of Vellanad Panchayat here, was arrested for destroying a plaque devoid of his name that was placed at a Health Sub-Centre.

A video of Sasi's action was widely shared, in which he is seen chiselling down the plaque before smashing it into pieces using a hammer.

Sasi was arrested on the complaint of R Hemalatha, Vellanad Panchayat secretary and VS Shoban Kumar, ward member of Kidangummal, where the sub-centre under the Syama Prasad Mukherji National Rurban Mission is situated. The incident occurred Thursday afternoon.

The allocation of five cents part of a half-acre property behind the Veliyannoor Government LP School was done during the term of Sasi's presidency.

The work inauguration was done before the local body elections and a plaque mentioning the same was placed.

However, when the centre was inaugurated on November 11, the current set of office-bearers left out Sasi's name from the fresh plaque. It had been inaugurated by panchayat president KS Rajalekshmi and the function was presided over by vice-president Vellanad Sreekandan, both of whom are named on the plaque.

Sasi was upset after not being invited to the inauguration.

He reportedly claimed that sub-centre was inaugurated during his term.