Kozhikode: Kozhikode Assistant Sessions Court has acquitted all the twenty one accused in the case related to the protest against GAIL project held in Eranhimavu in 2017. The case charged against the protesters was that during the months long agitation the protesters attacked an official with deadly weapons and destroyed his vehicle.
Mukkom police had pressed a case against the accused under IPC 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide). The court tried 21 out of 22 accused, among which one accused is abroad. Asst.sessions court judge Leena Rasheed issued the verdict. Adv. CT Ahammed Kutty appeared before the court for the accused.
There is one more case under trial in Manjeri Asst. Sessions Court, in which 12 people are accused which also includes those who were acquitted on Tuesday. " As Eranhimavu is a border village, Mukkom and Areacode police charged cases against us simultaneously. While Mukkom police charged us that we destroyed a jeep of a GAIL official and attempted homicide, the Areacode police registered a case saying that we destroyed a KSRTC bus and attempted rioting," said Shareef Ambalakkandy, one of the acquitted.
The trial in connection with the case in the Areacode station is going on in Manjeri Asst. sessions court. 'The police wanted to suppress the agitators, that's why they had charged cases against many protesters with serious sections. Actually, most of the accused were only onlookers including me, we were not part of the agitation," said Shareef.
Mukkom, Karassery, Eranhimavu areas had witnessed months long agitation and clashes over laying of GAIL pipes. " There were a number of cases charged by Mukkom, Areacode policies against the agitators in Eranhimavu. In many cases registered, the accused were acquitted," said Adv. CT Ahammed Kutty.