Thrissur: The Peramangalam police on Friday booked Congress leader and former Wadakkanchery MLA Anil Akkara for allegedly damaging a road divider on the Thrissur–Kuttippuram state highway. The incident happened around 10.30 am near the Muthuvara Sree Mahadeva Temple, where the Public Works Department (PWD) had recently built a divider as part of road renovation work, closing a U-turn that previously existed in front of the temple.

Upset over the closure, Akkara stopped his vehicle, took a hammer from the road workers, and broke a portion of the divider. The closure, he claimed, was causing serious inconvenience to devotees and locals, as vehicles from Thrissur now had to travel up to the Amala Hospital junction to take a U-turn.

Following a complaint by the road contractor, EKK Infrastructure, the Peramangalam police registered a case against Akkara. The company estimated a loss of ₹19,160 and accused him of intentionally damaging public property.

According to the FIR, Akkara has been charged under Sections 324(4)(m) (mischief, which refers to intentionally or knowingly causing wrongful loss or damage to property) and 3(5) (acts committed in furtherance of a common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3(1) (cause damage to public property) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Two others are also listed as accused, though they have not been named in the FIR.

Meanwhile, the DYFI condemned Akkara’s actions, calling them politically motivated and irresponsible.