PFI state gen secy Abdul Sattar handed over to NIA

Kollam: The state general secretary of the now-banned Popular Front on India (PFI), A Abdul Sattar, was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) at the Kollam Police Club on Wednesday. Sattar was earlier today taken into custody by the police from Puthiyakavu in Karunagapally.

An accused in a case registered by the NIA, Sattar had been absconding after calling for a hartal to protest the central agency's raid of the Popular Front.

Airports had been directed to look out for Sattar and ensure that he didn't leave the country.

Sattar was arrested from his office in Karunagapally by a team of NIA sleuths and police soon after he told the media that he would initiate legal action against the Central government's ban.

In Aluva, NIA raided the house of local Popular Front leader Abdul Wahab, at Eloorkkara.

Meanwhile, 233 more people were arrested today from different parts of the state in connection with the violence unleashed on the day PFI held the hartal. With this, the total number of people arrested in connection with the incident has reached 2,042. So far 349 cases have been registered.

Here's a district-wise break-up of the number of cases registered and arrests made (in that order):

Thiruvananthapuram City: 25, 62

Thiruvananthapuram Rural: 25, 154

Kollam City: 27, 196

Kollam Rural: 15, 115

Pathanamthitta: 18, 137

Alappuzha: 16, 92

Kottayam: 27, 410

Idukki: 4, 36

Ernakulam City: 8, 69

Ernakulam Rural: 17, 47

Thrissur City: 11, 19

Thrissur Rural: 21, 21

Palakkad: 7, 89

Malappuram: 34, 172

Kozhikode City: 18, 70

Kozhikode Rural: 29, 89

Wayanad: 6, 115

Kannur City: 26, 70

Kannur Rural: 9, 26

Kasaragod: 6, 53