Kozhikode: An activist of the DYFI, the youth wing of the ruling CPM, suffered grave injuries after being allegedly attacked by workers of the SDPI and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in the district early on Thursday, with the Left outfit calling it an incident of "mob attack".
Jishnu Raj, 22, belonging to Dalit community, was attacked allegedly by activists of the SDPI, the political wing of the Popular Front of India (PFI), and the IUML in the wee hours, accusing him of destroying their parties' flex boards.
The incident was reported from the Paloli area under Balussery police station limit.
While DYFI state president V Vaseef termed it as an 'extremist model mob attack', both the IUML and the SDPI have rejected the allegations of their role in the incident.
The police have arrested five people – Muhammed Salih, Muhammed Ijas, Najarif, Riyas and Haris – in connection with the incident. All are natives of Thiruvode in Kozhikode district.
The police have so far booked 29 people, out of which 10 were identified, in the case. They have been charged under various sections of the IPC including 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide), 324 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and means), 143 (Unlawful assembly) and 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon). They have also been charged under relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The police have also booked Jishnu reportedly on the complaint received from local people. He was charged with relevant sections of the IPC for weapon possession and rioting.
According to the FIR launched by the police, Jishnu was subjected to racist slur and attacked using stone and sharp edged weapons like knife and sword.
The culprits also, in their politically motivated criminal act, allegedly made an attempt to kill him by drowning, it said.
Jishnu charged that he was brutally attacked and beaten up by the group.
He was later admitted to a government hospital with severe injuries all over the body.
"Though I said I was not aware, they beat me up and forced me to say that my party's local leaders were behind the act. They recorded the video of my statement on a mobile phone after placing a sword in my hand and circulated it via social media," he told the media at the hospital.
The video, widely circulated online, showed Jishnu holding a sword – which the mob claimed was used to damage the billboards. It also shows the captors extracting "confessions" from him.
(With PTI inputs)
