Kochi: Amid unease in the ruling CPM over booking two youths under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for alleged Maoists links, the duo have averred they have no truck with the banned Maoist group. Alan Shuhaib and Thaha Fasal asserted that they are associated with the CPM and asked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to release evidence to substantiate his earlier claims that both are Maoists.
Meanwhile, the NIA Court, remanded Alan and Thaha till February 14. This was for the first time they were produced before the court after being taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Both of them will be shifted to the high-security prison in Thrissur on Friday. On Thursday they were brought to the NIA court in Kochi from the jail in Kozhikode where they had been lodged since their arrest in November.
The NIA has filed a petition seeking the custody of the accused for seven days from January 20. This petition was opposed by the advocate of both the accused.
The court has decided to hear of custody petition and the objection raised by accused on Friday.
The court observed that there was prima facie evidence to show that Alan and Thaha, who were arrested in November from Pantheeramkavu in Kozhikode, had connections with Maoists.
"The books, brochures, notices and banners that were seized from the two belonged to the Central Committee of CPI (Maoist), banned by the centre. This prima facie suggested that accused hade links with the organisation,” magistrate court pointed out while denying bail to the duo.
The court made this observation while considering the request of the investigation officers for the custody of the accused. The court pointed out that granting bail in the primary stage itself will affect the case.
Thaha had also moved a petition seeking dental treatment, including permission to undergo a root-canal procedure. In response to this, NIA prosecutor urged the court that the treatment should be given in the presence of a police officer. The court ordered that the necessary treatment should be provided at Thrissur Medical College.
Both CPM and its ally CPI had slammed Kerala's Left Democratic Front (LDF) government over invoking UAPA in the case. As reported earlier, it triggered an uproar against the state government and the Home Department, which is headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan himself, from various quarters. Even the functionaries of the ruling CPM is reportedly divided on the issue.
The duo were accused in the case registered by the Kerala police against three youths who were found under suspicious circumstances in the Peruman Perummal area of Kozhikode around 6.45 pm on November 1. One person who was also along with them ran away after seeing the approaching police team. As per police version, posters and leaflets of groups having links with Maoist organisations were recovered from the accused persons.
NIA re-registered an FIR under Section 20 of UAPA after taking over the probe on December 18, 2019.
