37,979 people accused, 1,286 cases filed in Kerala

The Kerala Police has registered 1,286 cases in which 37,979 people are accused following the widespread violence that followed the entry of two women to the Sabarimala shrine, police chief Loknath Behra said on Saturday.

A statement issued by Behra said that so far 3,178 arrests had been made and 487 of them were in custody while 2,691 had got bail.

In Palakkad district, which witnessed the worst violence, 4,946 cases had been registered. Kozhikode accounted for 3,763 cases.

The shutdown was called by the Sabarimala Karma Samithi (SKS) to protest against the visit of two women to the Sabarimala temple on Wednesday. It got the support of the BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits.

While most violence took place on Thursday, on Thursday night the house of CPI-M Thalassery legislator A.N. Shamsheer came under attack from suspected Sangh Parivar groups. A similar attack place on the house of former Kannur CPI-M district secretary P. Sasi.

Following the violence, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asked for a detailed report from the Kerala government.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday that the Sangh Parivar forces were purposely trying to create unrest and what was more surprising was that the Congress was silent.

'Violence will be dealt with an iron hand,' said Vijayan.

State BJP President P.S. Sreedharan Pillai told the media that Vijayan was creating a bad precedent by registering cases and arresting innocent supporters.

Hitting back at Vijayan, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the Chief Minister need not teach his party anything.

'Who does not know that it is Vijayan who is giving all the support to the Sangh Parivar forces and as a result they are creating mayhem in the state. We don't have to learn anything form Vijayan,' said Chennithala.

--IANS

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