Kozhikode: Three youths who were returning after meeting the members of a protest committee constituted against the sewage treatment plant in Avikkal here have been taken into custody by Vellayil police. Later, they were released on station bail as they are not on the 'wanted list'.

The three who were taken to custody on Tuesday have been identified as Malappuram natives SP Nahaz Rahman and Shaneer and Kozhikode native Bagath Din.

It is learnt that they had been under police surveillance for some time. According to police, they have links with Maoists. All three are the office bearers of pro-Maoist youth organisations, an official said. Nahaz and Shaneer are history-sheeters who had UAPA charges, the person added. Similarly, Nahaz is the brother of deceased Maoist CP Jaleel, said other official sources.  

The officials maintained that the trio possessed pamphlets containing slogans against the state government’s development projects and Left administration. ‘Resist against destructive SilverLine, Tunnel Road, Sagar Mala project-like development projects’, ‘Realize fake Left’s service for the imperialists’, some of them read.