Kannur: A college teacher, who stood in as a booth agent for the Congress during the Lok Sabha election, was assaulted with iron rods allegedly by CPM workers, including the party's branch secretary, said Payyannur Police.
Rajith Kumar P (32), an assistant professor in the Department of Commerce at the Co-operative Arts & Science College, Madayi, was waylaid and assaulted while he was returning home on his motorcycle around 10 pm on Tuesday, April 30. "They stopped me around 200 metres from my home at Korom near Maniyara. They hit my head with iron rods and punched my back. I was saved because I was wearing a helmet," said Rajith Kumar over the phone. He is admitted to Priyadarshini Hospital in Payyannur.
According to the FIR registered by Payyannur Police, he was assaulted by CPM Maniyara branch secretary Suresh V V, and CPM workers Suresh K, Ajayan T V, Mahesh Iruttan, and Pranav T V. The gang shouted 'Kill him' before raining blows on him, according to the first information report.
Maniyara is a CPM stronghold in Payyannur municipality. Of the 44 councillors in the municipal council, 34 belong to the CPM-led Left Democratic Front.
On election day on April 26, Rajith Kumar volunteered to be the Congress's booth agent at polling station number 55 at Government Lower Primary School at Maniyara. "I stayed put in the polling station till the end of voting which did not go down well with the CPM workers. There were pushes and shoves when I came out of the booth," he said.
Rajith Kumar alleged that the attack was CPM's response to him taking up the role of Congress's booth agent.
Payyannur Police have charged the accused with voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and voluntarily causing hurt (Sections 324 and 323 of IPC), and wrongful restraint (Section 341 of IPC).
The Congress-affiliated Kerala Private College Teachers' Association (KPCTA) condemned the attack and said if the police did not take stringent action against the accused, it would take legal recourse.
KPCTA state general secretary Dr Premachandran Keezhoth, KPCTA Kannur Regional President Dr Shino P Jose and Kasaragod district president Dr Jobi Thomas called on Rajith Kumar in the hospital on Wednesday.
