Kozhikode: Shafi Parambil, Member of Parliament, on Thursday, accused the police of deliberately creating the clash in Perambra, calling it politically motivated. Speaking at a press conference in Kozhikode, Shafi said he was assaulted by CI Abhilash David, who he claimed had been dismissed from service in January 2023 over alleged gangster connections.

“Informing the media and the assembly that he was dismissed. But what actually happened is that he was secretly reinstated and assigned to tasks linked to the CPM,” Shafi alleged. “CI Abhilash David, a CPM-linked police officer, led the violence in Perambra. He is currently posted in the Vadakara control room. There is an order to suspend him, but no order to dismiss him.”

Shafi added that Abhilash had previous links with the SFI and had visited the area committee during his suspension. During the press conference, Shafi shared videos of the Perambra clash to support his claims.

According to Shafi, the officer struck him on the head and face, injuring his nose, and later attempted to hit him again. “I was struck from the front, not from behind. No tear gas was used. DySP Hariprasad was holding tear gas in one hand and beating with a lathi in the other,” he said, pointing to footage from the incident.

Shafi questioned whether they created a riotous atmosphere despite the injuries sustained by him and his colleagues at the hands of the police. He also criticised the delay in medical attention, noting that at the time, they were unaware that their nasal bridge had been broken.

“Even though the activists were seriously injured and held in police custody, at least one policeman was injured? The intention was not to provoke,” he said. He added that authorities only admitted the assault after the visuals of the incident emerged, contradicting earlier claims that the injuries were caused by ink or paint.

Shafi also questioned the government’s use of AI tools to identify the officer responsible, saying, “Why has the person who assaulted us not been identified yet? My statement has not been recorded, and I have not received any notification of a case being registered. Who instructed that no action should be taken?”