Kozhikode: The Kerala State Electricity Board has restored the power supply to the house of Razak at Thiruvambady here on Sunday in its bid to suppress the protest over its alleged revengeful act. An altercation between KSEB staff and Razak's son Ajmal, a Youth Congress leader led to the two-day-long power supply disconnection drama. The district collector assigned Thamarassery taluk tehsildar K Hareesh to hold talks with Razak and his family who were observing a hunger strike after KSEB disconnected power on Saturday. The tehsildar along with KSEB officials and police visited the family on Sunday evening.
After a few hours long uncertainty over the restoration of the power supply, the tehsildar informed the family that the collector ordered KSEB to restore the supply to the house without any conditions. When the connection was restored, the family stopped their hunger strike.
As part of the conciliatory efforts, the tehsildar asked Razak to sign an affidavit prepared by the KSEB demanding assurance that none of the family members would ever create any issues with the officials over the matter. However, the family members refused to sign the affidavit as opposing the conditions. KSEB was also adamant that they would restore the supply only if the family accepted their conditions. However, the district authority managed to solve the issue by making KSEB fall in line with its orders. The positive decision of the authority marked the success of the protest observed by the family and Youth Congress. On Sunday evening, Youth Congress activists staged a protest march to the KSEB office in Thiruvambadi and clashed with police. Following this, the district authority expedited action to solve the issue.
Meanwhile, Thiruvambadi police registered a case against KSEB lineman P Prasanth and helper Anandu over a complaint filed by Ajmal's mother Mariyam. In the complaint, Mariyam alleged that the two KSEB employees manhandled her and hurled offensive words against her.
Amid the protests, KSEB chairman Biju Prabhakar declared that the power supply to Razack's house will be restored only if the board get assurance that none of its officials will be attacked. At the same time, the State Human Rights Commission has registered a suo motu case over the incident and served a notice to KSEB.
What triggered the row?
It was on Friday evening that P Prasanth, a lineman and a helper under the KSEB Thiruvambadi section, went to Razak's home to reconnect electricity as it was disconnected for two days due to a delay in payment of electricity bills. Provoked by the disconnection, Ajmal, the former Youth Congress Thiruvambadi Mandalam committee president, allegedly assaulted Prasanth. Prasanth was later admitted to Mukkom Government Hospital. The Assistant Engineer lodged a complaint against Ajmal following the assault on Friday.
On Saturday Ajmal allegedly trespassed the KSEB property and manhandled the Assistant Engineer, overpowered the office staff and smashed the chairs and computers inside. Subsequently, Thiruvambadi police took him into custody. As the computers were smashed, the office work was halted. The consumers who came to pay electricity bills had to return.
Following the instructions of CMD Biju Prabhakar, KSEB also disconnected the power supply to Ajmal's house on Saturday. Subsequently, Razak and his wife Mariyam protested in front of the KSEB section office by holding lit candles. Razak collapsed during the protest and was then admitted to a private hospital.