Malappuram: One person has been arrested in connection with an incident in which the vehicle of MP Shashi Tharoor was blocked at Vandoor on Friday evening. The accused has been identified as Ummar (38), a native of Kalikavu.

According to police, the incident occurred around 7 pm near Chullithode bridge at Thiruvali, where maintenance work had led to a long queue of vehicles. Shashi Tharoor was travelling from Vandoor to Edavanna to attend election campaign programmes in various parts of Malappuram district.

Police said that when the MP’s vehicle attempted to overtake the queue, a car driven by the accused, which was in the line of vehicles, blocked its way. The accused then got out of his vehicle and questioned the MP’s driver, leading to a verbal altercation with the MP’s gunman.

Although the MP did not step out of the vehicle, the accused allegedly manhandled the gunman during the confrontation. The MP’s vehicle later proceeded from the spot without further delay.

Police had taken two persons into custody in connection with the incident, as another vehicle was also involved. However, it was later found that the driver of the second vehicle had no direct role in the incident.