Kasaragod: Two CPM workers threw a low-grade explosive at their party leaders who came to confront them over an assault on a DYFI worker in Ambalathara in Pullur-Periya grama panchayat Monday night. No one was injured in the attack, said Ambalathara Station House Officer - Inspector Prajish K. 
Ambalathara police have registered a case against Ratheesh, 33, alias 'Manthi' Ratheesh of Lalur and Sameer, 30, of Eriya in the panchayat. They have been booked under an attempt to culpable homicide (section 308 of IPC) negligent conduct concerning explosive substances (section 286 of IPC) and common intent (section 34 of IPC). Police have arrested Sameer. Ratheesh is on the run, said police.

But unlike what the inspector said, Amina, a neighbour, suffered minor injuries in the attack, according to the FIR. She sought treatment at a hospital in Kanhangad. 
Around 7.20 pm on Monday, May 20, CPM local secretaries Anoop K V and Baburaj, DYFI leader Arun Ezhammile and party worker Balakrishnan reached Sameer's house. But they were greeted with a country-made explosive, said Inspector Prajish. "It could be a cracker usually used to scare away wild boars," said the officer.
He said that intra-party rivalry was prevalent in the Ambalathara area for some time. The attack was part of it, he said, without elaborating on the motive.

However, political workers in Ambalathara described Ratheesh as a strongman who had been at loggerheads with the local party leadership for a long time. Party workers had recently roughed him up, too.
In retaliation, Ratheesh allegedly assaulted DYFI Ambalathara regional secretary Arun Ezhammile, said political workers in Ambalathara. Ratheesh was a headload worker affiliated with the CITU, the CPM's trade union.

Monday night, party leaders came to know that Ratheesh was in Sameer's house and decided to confront him. When CPM Ambalathara local secretary Anoop K V, CPM Ezhammile local secretary Baburaj, party worker Balakrishnan and Arun reached Sameer's house, the country-made explosive was thrown at them. 
Party workers in Ambalathara said the explosive was made by stuffing a plastic ice cream ball with glass shards and nails and was potentially dangerous.
The CPM said Ratheesh was expelled from the party in 2018 and the FIR was registered on a complaint filed by local secretary Arun.