Thiruvananthapuram: A day after former diplomat T.P. Sreenivasan was manhandled by SFI activists at Kovalam, the prime accused, who slapped him, was arrested here on Saturday.
City Police commissioner S. Sparjan Kumar said the prime accused, Students Federation of India(SFI) leader J.S. Sarath, who was absconding soon after the incident, was arrested from a tea shop in the capital city Saturday evening.
He was arrested under various charges including IPC sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 341 (wrongfully restraining any person), he said.
Read here: A slap on the CPM's carefully groomed smiling face
Kenyan thugs then, SFI goons now - TP Sreenivasan
Five cops face action
Police also initiated disciplinary action against five policemen, who were on duty at the venue of the Global Education Meet at Kovalam, where the incident occurred.
The 'erring' policemen would be sent for intensive refresher training as part of the departmental action.
"Two sub-inspectors and three constables will be sent for intensive refresher training at Kerala Police Academy in Thrissur. An oral inquiry has also been ordered into the incident," a top police official said.
There were allegations that police had remained mute spectators while Sreenivasan, who is also the Vice Chairman and Executive Head of Kerala State Higher Education Council, was attacked.
SFI sacks attacker
The CPM has also taken action against Sarath for slapping T.P. Sreenivasan and removed him from his positions of SFI district vice-president and Vilappil area president.
Read on: SFI leader who assaulted Sreenivasan a history-sheeter
He is involved in a dozen other criminal cases. After assaulting Sreenivasan, Sarath had walked away nonchalantly when the police looked on meekly.
Chandy visits Sreenivasan
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy visited Sreenivasan on Saturday. The CM had condemned the attack on Sreenivasan on Friday.
Visited #TPSrinivasan Vice Chairman, Kerala State Higher Education Council who was attacked yesterday. pic.twitter.com/7bzKSgjKUF
— Oommen Chandy (@Oommen_Chandy) January 30, 2016VS, Pinarayi slam SFI activists
Meanwhile, CPM veteran and opposition leader V.S. Achuthanandan, on Saturday demanded strict action against the SFI activists who attacked the former diplomat.
CPM politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan also said that the agitators had crossed the limit and the party cannot approve these kind of personal attacks.
The party's district secretary Kadakampally Surendran had apologised yesterday itself for the misbehaviour of agitators belonging to SFI, the student wing of CPM.
SFI activists had attacked Sreenivasan during their protest against the 'commercialisation of higher education' near the venue.
Sreenivasan was the former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Vienna, and Ambassador to Austria and Slovenia.
(With inputs from agencies)