When some throwing garbage in public spots is caught red-handed, they could possibly get rebuked by people, or fined or warned by local body officials. In a worse case, they could get booked by the police. However, in two recent instances in Kochi, it was the Corporation councillors who were targeted for questioning people trying to dispose of garbage on public roads. In two different incidents, a Kochi Corporation councillor and spouse of another councillor were allegedly attacked by two miscreants. In the incidents that happened August 19, the councillor of Edappally Kunnumpuram ward, Ambika Sudharshan, was hit on her head. In the second incident, the spouse of Kadavanthra councillor Suja Lonappan was knocked down by a car. While one of the culprits is arrested, one is absconding, police state.
On Thursday night, Kunnumpuram councillor Ambika Sudharshan was called by people in her ward over an issue. “A family – a woman, child and her mother – were blocked by people who caught them red handed while throwing garbage along the road. Since this is a major issue, people have been monitoring the spot. By the time I reached, the woman had called her brother. Since the arguments were heating up, I told them to leave for now, but this man (woman’s brother) hit me hard on my head. The pressure of the blow made me numb for a moment,” the councillor says.
Following this, police who reached the spot booked the man who is a Cheranallur (neighbouring panchayat) native named Akshay. The 30-year-old was arrested by police, and then reportedly let off on bail.
Meanwhile, the incident that happened at Kadavanthra, a place close to the city centre, was more brutal. Councillor Suja Lonappan’s husband had gone to an area in their ward on the night of Thursday, August 19, where people were dumping waste illegally. According to Suja, her husband Lonappan objected when he saw a man trying to throw waste there. “He forced the man to take back the garbage after a heated argument. Though the man left, he came back and hit my husband with the car. His leg is fractured and he has bruises,” Suja says.
According to Suja, the culprit is not from Kadavanthra ward. Ernakulam South police have registered a case under Indian Penal Code sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life). However, police are yet to nab the accused. Speaking to TNM, officials of Ernakulam South Police Station said that the case is under investigation and the name of the accused cannot be revealed. However, councillor Suja stated that the vehicle number of the accused was passed onto the police.
Read: