Protests erupt over arrest of BJP councillor R. Sugathan

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.

First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.

Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.

Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers

Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there

The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.

Political tensions escalated in the State capital on Wednesday following the arrest of BJP councillor R. Sugathan under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA).

BJP workers, including councillors of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, took out a protest march to the Vattiyurkavu police station. They accused the police of abusing their authority during the detention.

Mr. Sugathan, who represents the Vazhottukonam ward in the City Corporation, was taken into custody during a dramatic late-night police operation on Tuesday. He was shifted to the Thiruvananthapuram Central Prison under preventive detention provisions of the KAAPA Act. The City police have also registered a fresh case against him for allegedly obstructing the police from discharging their duties and attacking the personnel during the arrest operation.

According to the police, the situation turned tense when BJP workers gathered outside his house and allegedly attempted to obstruct the arrest. The Station House officer fired a warning shot into the air to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control amid the confrontation.

District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram City) K. Karthick said preliminary reports indicated that the warning shot was fired by the officer to overcome a volatile situation. A detailed report is awaited, he added.

Police officials said the accused has nearly ten criminal cases registered against him and that the preventive detention order was issued after due legal process.

However, the BJP councillor told media persons that he was targeted unfairly with excessive force. He claimed that he had developed symptoms of chickenpox and had approached the High Court seeking additional time in proceedings related to his anticipatory bail application.

His wife Aswathy also accused police officers of physically assaulting her and frightening their children during the arrest operation. The family has demanded an independent inquiry into the conduct of the police team.

Thiruv