Kozhikode: The Kunnamangalam Court has initiated trial proceedings in connection with the case against activist and former Naxalite leader Grow Vasu. There is no lawyer for him, and he himself has been defending the case. 

Vasu was brought to the court under tight police security. Although the court offered him a chair during the trial, he refused to sit down. 

During the trial, circle inspector Habeebulla gave his statement and explained the circumstances for registering the case. Vasu did not cross-examine the inspector. ASI Abdul Azeez cited the lack of enough policemen as a reason for averting the arrest of Vasu.

Meanwhile, the court directed the officers not to delay the case as Grow Vasu was an elderly man and asked witnesses to appear for the next trial. Following this, Vasu returned to the jail chanting slogans. 

Outside the court, cops restricted him from interacting with the media. Vasu raised slogans and a cop was seen covering his face with a police cap. Earlier too he had interacted with media after court appearances. Vasu used the opportunity to issue statements against the government and police. According to the top-level police officers, it was a serious lapse on the side of the cops on duty to allow a person under judicial custody to interact with the media. 

The incident pertaining to Grow Vasu’s case happened in 2016 when the veteran Maoist leader and a few others had gathered in front of the mortuary at the Kozhikode Medical College to protest the deaths of Maoists Kuppuswamy alias Devarajan and Ajitha Paramesan alias Kaveri who were killed in an alleged encounter. Vasu and others launched their protest when the dead bodies of the duo were brought to the hospital.