Kasaragod: Kasaragod's BJP municipal councillor Ajith Kumaran, wanted for stabbing a party worker who called him a Congressman, has been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.
Kumaran surrendered before the Kasaragod Judicial First Class Magistrate Court after the Sessions Court rejected his anticipatory bail application.
According to Kasaragod Town Police, Jiju Suresh (36), an NRI who was on leave, was stabbed allegedly by Kumaran on Nellikkunnu Beach around 11.30 pm on January 31.
Jiju's small and large intestines were torn and he had to undergo a three-hour life-saving surgery in a hospital in Mangaluru. He was discharged from hospital on Tuesday, February 20.
Speaking to Onmanorama, Jiju, who works as a salesman in a textile shop in Dubai, said he ran a hospital bill of Rs 4 lakh for the surgery and 20-day stay in the hospital. "I was supposed to return on February 15 but I don't think I will be able to work for another six months," he said, with tubes running out of his abdomen. He will have to undergo another surgery to remove the tubes and bags after three weeks.
Jiju said the party sent two people to him to strike a compromise with the councillor. "My life was on the line and I lost so much money. But the party is standing with the councillor," he said.
Jiju's wife Varsha said that they were having dinner when the councillor phoned around 11 pm. "Their conversation soon turned into an argument and Jiju wanted to go out to the beach," she said. "I tried to stop him," she said.
Jiju said the councillor was criticising the party leadership and he called Kumaran a Congressman. "He challenged me to come out to the beach. I never thought he would stab me," he said. The councillor's house is 100m away from Jiju's house.
"When I reached the beach, I saw Ajith (Kumaran) walking towards me. His wife Binisha was running behind him. When he reached me, he caught hold of my collar and punched me in my stomach. Only when the blood started gushing out I realised I was stabbed," he said.
Jiju said Kumaran tried to stab him again but by then Binisha caught hold of him. "It was not a kitchen knife. It was a long dagger used for other purposes," said Jiju.
Three passersby took him to the hospital in Jiju's car. Jiju alleged that police visited the crime scene only after it was washed two days later. "The car in which I was taken to the hospital was taken for forensic tests six days after I was stabbed. My family used the car to come to the hospital almost every day," he said.
The police did not arrest him or seize the weapon, said Jiju. "Now he will be out after 14 days and that will be the end of the investigation. I don't want that to happen," he said.
Kasaragod Town Station House Inspector Shaji Patteri said the police would move an application to seek his custody for questioning soon.
