By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Kochi: Seven people from a Muslim family were taken into custody and released after questioning by the police yesterday in connection with the bomb blast that took place in the Ernakulam Collectorate building on Friday.
The Special Investigation Team which is probing the blast case had taken into custody six persons from Erattupetta in Kottayam district and one from Thodupuzha in Ernakulam district yesterday. They were released finding no evidence for their role in the blast.
TS Abdul Kareem, his son Fasli and son-in-law Parayil Razik, Kareem’s brother’s sons Peediyakkal Hashim and Rasheed and Manakkaparambil MK Kabeer were taken away by the police by surrounding their houses at 3 am yesterday. Kareem’s wife’s brother Undaplavu Shahul was taken in police custody from Thodupuzha in Ernakulam. Their relation with Shibily and Shaduli, arrested earlier in connection with suspected SIMI links, seems to be the main reason for the police to suspect their involvement. The police arrested them seeing their names in the list of people who visited Shibily and Shaduli in jail. Shibily and Shaduli are the sons of Abdul Kareem.
The families were frightened at the untimely arrival of the police at 3 am. They were not informed why the men were taken away. However, all those taken in custody were released later in the day as the police could not find anything suspicious even after detailed interrogation in Kochi.
“Peediyakkal Hashim and Rasheed are activists of the Muslim League and are strong opponents of terrorism”, said PM Shareef, Kottayam district president of the Muslim League. “The police had taken them in custody just because they are cousins of Shibily and Shaduli, former activists of the banned SIMI who are in jail now. Hashim and Rasheed had visited their cousins in jail. The police went to their house at 3 am. They would have gone straight to the police had the police asked them to come for any interrogation. I know them well; they have no links at all with terrorism. The Muslim League is against any kind of terrorist activity.”
TS Abdul Kareem and Manakkaparambil MK Kabeer are activists of the Popular Front of India. Adv KPM Shareef of the organisation has strong views against the manner in which the men were taken in police custody. “Questioning somebody as part of investigation is the right of the police, but problem lies with the manner of taking people in custody. It is not right to do so at an untimely hour. It actually comes under human rights violation; it is mere torture and harassment,” he said.
However, DGP Jacob Punnoose had stated earlier that the enquiry in the blast case won’t be aimed at any particular organisation or community.
A pipe bomb exploded in the fifth floor of the Ernakulam District Collectorate at about 3 pm on 10th July. However, there were not much damages but for minor injuries to an employee named Jafar who works in the Survey Deputy Director Office in the same building. A special investigation team has been constituted under the leadership of IG Vinson M Paul and Kochi City Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham for enquiry into the blast. Since then the police have questioned hundreds of people.