The Kozhikode District Congress Committee (DCC) is demanding accountability from police officers, including DySPs, following an alleged lathi-charge against Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil in Perambra recently. The DCC has specifically sought action against the personnel directly involved and the Deputy Superintendents of Police in Vadakara and Perambra for allegedly issuing the directives.
DCC President K. Praveenkumar has formally complained to the State Police Chief, also calling for a warning against Kozhikode Rural District Police Chief K.E. Baiju. Mr. Praveenkumar explicitly stated that if no concrete action is taken within five to six days, the party would be compelled to launch protests outside Mr. Baiju’s residence.
Interestingly, District Police Chief K.E. Baiju later conceded during a private event in Vadakara that some officers had “deliberately attempted to incite trouble” in Perambra, acknowledging that the MP was struck from behind with lathis. He confirmed that artificial intelligence tools would be employed to identify these individuals. However, he maintained his earlier stance that there was no official “lathi charge” against United Democratic Front (UDF) activists on the day, emphasizing that a chain of command would have been necessary for such an action, which he claimed did not occur.
This statement by Mr. Baiju directly contradicts his previous assertion that Mr. Parambil’s injuries were caused by a police-hurled grenade bursting nearby, and not by lathi blows—a claim widely refuted by video evidence subsequently released by the media.
According to Mr. Praveenkumar, MP Shafi Parambil suffered two blows to his nose and one to his head during the incident at Perambra on October 10. He further alleged that streetlights were extinguished, and police personnel vanished into the darkness following the assault. The confrontation arose during separate protest marches by UDF and Left Democratic Front (LDF) workers, stemming from a contentious union election at CKG Memorial Government College, Perambra, and a subsequent ‘hartal’ (strike) called by the UDF in response to alleged violence by CPI(M) members.
Criticizing the LDF for what he called acting as the “mouthpiece of the police,” Mr. Praveenkumar highlighted the disparity in police treatment: the UDF’s larger march was halted, while the LDF’s smaller procession received a police escort. He claims the police attacked Mr. Parambil while he was attempting to de-escalate tensions among the UDF workers, further stating that a grenade was deployed without following proper protocol.