Muvattupuzha: Chaos erupted during a football match in Maradi near here when a 40-year-old man, infuriated by his son's red card and expulsion from the game, brandished a machete on the ground. The man, identified as Plamoottil Harris Ameer of Muvattupuzha, was later arrested by police.
The incident occurred during a football match involving young boys, including school students. Harris, the son of a prominent Muslim League leader in Muvattupuzha, allegedly wielded the local machete called 'Vadival' and threatened players after his son was shown a red card for fouling an opponent. A case has been registered against him on multiple charges, including fomenting trouble by carrying a weapon in a public place.
The confrontation began when the referee issued a red card to Harris' son for a foul, ordering him off the field. The boy refused to comply, leading to a fistfight between the players. Upon hearing that his son had been involved in a brawl and allegedly manhandled, Harris rushed to the scene with the weapon in hand.
As he brandished the weapon at the young players and threatened them, people who accompanied him managed to de-escalate the situation and persuaded him to leave. However, the frightened children soon filed a police complaint, claiming Harris had threatened to attack them while they would return home after leaving school. Acting on this complaint, the police registered a case.
In response to the incident, several youth organisations, including the DYFI, staged protests and lodged a complaint with the Ernakulam Rural Police Superintendent, demanding action against Harris.