Kundara/Adoor: A police party which was on the hunt for two accused in an abduction case had a narrow escape last midnight as it was threatened with swords. The police had to fire shots in self-defence after the duo tried to attack them with swords. The latter then jumped into the backwaters and escaped.
The incident happened at Karikuzhi in Perayam of Kollam district around 1am on Saturday.
After Kazikuzhi natives Antony Das (Kuttan, 26) and Leo Plaset (27) brandished swords at the police, Infopark Kochi Circle Inspector Vipin Das opened fire in self-defence.
The two youths are accused in the case of abducting Alappuzha native Libin Varghese, accused in a ganja case at Sasthamkotta, and also for demanding ransom. The Infopark police had earlier arrested five accused in the case of abduction.
Following a dispute over financial matters, the accused had abducted Libin Varghese, took him to a room at the Adoor PWD rest house, beat him up and demanded a ransom of Rs 5 lakh.
The police had arrested another accused in the case, Karikuzhi native Libin Lawrence, 26, the other day. While questioning him, the police got information that Antony and Leo were at a relative's house at Karikuzhi.
Then a police team, led by Infopark Circle Inspector Vipin Das and Kundara CI R Ratheesh, surrounded the house. Realising that they would be caught, the accused tried to escape by brandishing swords at the police. The cops chased them, but the accused brandished the swords again and the CI fired four rounds. But the accused jumped into the backwaters and swam away.
Antony Das, who was jailed in a KAAPA case, was released from the Viyyur central jail on January 9. Libin Lawrance has been remanded by the court.
A temporary jail staff has been dismissed for giving room to the gang, which abducted the youth, without any documents. Rajeev Khan, who was the cook and the watcher, was sacked. He is the member of the Peringanad North regional committee of the Democratic Youth Federation of India or DYFI.
