Attempted murder case: Dramatic scenes as warning shot fired to arrest Kerala BJP councillor

Thiruvananthapuram: In a dramatic midnight operation, the police surrounded the house of a BJP councillor wanted in an attempted murder case and arrested him. Amidst a tense standoff and high drama at the scene, the police officer fired a shot into the air to bring the situation under control before taking the councillor into custody. R Sugathan, the councillor for Vazhottukonam, was apprehended by the Vattiyoorkavu Police on Tuesday night.

Sugathan was an accused in a case involving the attempted murder of a man during a clash at a temple festival near Vattiyoorkavu last month. Although he had moved the High Court seeking bail, his plea was rejected. Following the denial of bail, he was directed to surrender before the investigating officer, the Vattiyoorkavu SHO, on June 7.

However, Sugathan failed to turn up before the police, prompting the Vattiyoorkavu police to intensify their search. Upon receiving information that Sugathan was at his residence near the CPT Junction in Vattiyoorkavu, the police reached the spot on Tuesday night. A police team led by SHO Vipin surrounded the house to execute the arrest.

Sugathan's wife and family members strongly opposed the arrest procedures. As the police attempted to detain him, a group of BJP workers and locals gathered and tried to block the officers. It was at this juncture that SHO Vipin fired a warning shot into the air to disperse the gathering crowd.

Sugathan was subsequently taken into custody, escorted to the General Hospital for a medical examination, and later moved to the Cantonment Police Station. Sugathan, who has been named in several criminal cases in the past, was already on the police rowdy list and had previously been booked under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA).

It was during this period that the BJP fielded Sugathan as a candidate in Vazhottukonam. Following his electoral victory, there have been multiple clashes between the police and BJP workers in Vattiyoorkavu. The BJP had also organised major protests against SHO Vipin.

Consequently, Vipin had gone on leave. The High Court order against Sugathan was issued shortly after Vipin returned to duty.

Massive police deployment

The police arrived with a massive force in Vattiyoorkavu to arrest Sugathan. Personnel from both the Vattiyoorkavu police station and the AR Camp were deployed for the operation. Sugathan was transported in a police van to the hospital and subsequently to the Cantonment station.