Kozhikode: The mother of Alan Shuhaib, the second accused in the Pantheerankavu UAPA case, has accused the Kerala Police of harassing her son, even as the case nears conclusion in the NIA Court in Kochi.

Thaha Fasal and Alan Shuhaib, students of journalism and law respectively, were arrested in November 2019 in Kozhikode under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Both were active members of CPM's branch committee.

The duo was booked for allegedly supporting banned Maoist organisations, which are classified as terrorist entities.

After a lengthy period in jail, the court granted both students bail. However, the Kerala High Court later cancelled Fasal’s bail, while Shuhaib’s bail remains intact. The trial has now reached its final phase.

Speaking to reporters, Shuhaib’s mother, Sabitha Sekhar, said the police are subjecting her son to continued harassment.

“My son has to stay in Kochi because the trial is ongoing, while we live in Kozhikode. The police are now putting pressure on people who offer him accommodation. They are trying to influence landlords and even circulating his photo on social media. This is unbearable,” Sabitha said.

The arrest of the two youths had sparked a political controversy in 2019, especially after the CPM leadership distanced itself from them, despite family members insisting they were party members.

The controversy deepened when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan declared in the Assembly that both were Maoist activists.

The National Investigation Agency later took over the case, citing materials seized from the accused -- such as books, pamphlets, placards, and diary entries -- as evidence of their alleged Maoist links.

The issue had also resonated in the state Assembly, with the Congress-led UDF demanding that the Chief Minister approach Union Home Minister Amit Shah to seek the withdrawal of UAPA charges against the duo.

IANS