Nine AAI officials arrested for CISF trooper's murder

Nine Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials were on Friday arrested on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in connection with the death of a CISF trooper in a brawl at Kozhikode airport.

B. Santhosh, a member of Kerala Police probe team probing the Wednesday night brawl between Central Industrial Security Force and Airports Authority of India officials, told IANS that all nine accused - attached with fire and rescue department - would be produced before a magistrate on Saturday.

The body of 44-year-old CISF jawan A.S. Yadav, was flown to Mumbai from Kochi on Friday morning, from where it would be flown to his hometown Varanasi.

"The arrests were made after checking CCTV footage at the airport several times. The probe is continuing and as and when more evidence is secured, further arrests will be made," said Santhosh, a circle inspector attached to Kondotty police station in Malappuram district, where the case was registered.

A silver nitrate test conducted on CISF inspector Sitaram Choudhary's pistol, from which the shot that killed Yadav was fired, led police to conclude that a scuffle occured between CISF and AAI officials, which attracted the charge of culpable homicide and not murder.

Additional Director General of Police N. Shankar Reddy, in a report submitted on Friday to state police chief T.P. Senkumar, observed that since only officials of different agencies at the airport were involved in the scuffle and there was no trespass by outsiders, the incident could not be considered breach of security.

Sources said Reddy's report, based on CCTV footage at the airport, would be forwarded to the centre.

The visuals reportedly show angry CISF personnel damaging property inside and outside the airport after coming to know of Yadav's death. A case has since been registered against CISF personnel for vandalism.

Kerala Police had put at least 15 officials attached with fire and rescue department under watch since Thursday morning.

Three officials, including CISF inspector Choudhary, are recovering at the hospital.

Apart from Kerala police, other agencies operating at the airport are also preparing reports on the shooting.

The union home ministry, which has taken a very serious note of the incident, is expected to call a meeting of officials of different departments/agencies to ensure that such incidents are not repeated at other airports in the country.

Skirmishes have been reported between officials of CISF and other government departments/agencies at other airports in India in the past.