Police to probe background of SDPI activists

KOZHIKODE: In view of the subversive track record of the 12 Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) activists who were arrested on charges of waving black flags at Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in Kozhikode, the police have intensified the investigation into the background of the arrested.Ameer, the main accused in the case, had been booked on various charges earlier, including rioting and creating political violence by the Panniyankara police. The background of the other accused is also mysterious, said a police official. Besides Ameer, the arrested were: Rafeeq, Shihabuddin, Saidalavi, Abdullahkoya, Mujeeb, Abdurahiman, Abdurashid, Riyaz, Haneefa, Kabeer and Siddique, all natives of Kozhikode.It is learnt that some among them are settled in Karnataka and arrived in Kozhikode for waving black flags at Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the wake of the reported move by the police officials to snoop the e-mails of several leaders and scribes, who belonged to the Muslim community.Though all the accused are activists of the SDPI, the police will look into their earlier political links also. The officials will verify the address and place of residence of the accused, as they all had given Kozhikode address in the record of the Nadakkavu police station. It is during the questioning, the police officials got the details of subversive record of the accused. Their intention behind the move will also be inquired, added police officials of Nadakkavu police station.According to police, 12 activists of the SDPI jumped in front of the convoy of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy with black flags and shouted slogans to stop haunting Muslims, on Friday. Chandy was returning from Ashirwad Lawns at Karapparambu after inaugurating the NRI Project Management India. All the accused were booked under various sections of IPC including 143, 147 and 124 (A) and are remanded to judicial custody by Judicial First Class Magistrate here.Police will file a plea in the court to conduct further questioning of the accused in police custody, who are now in judicial custody.