The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has decided to take over UAPA cases against two Kerala students and members of ruling CPM, who were arrested from Kozhikode for distributing pro-Maoist pamphlets.
According to the reports, the NIA will take up the case in which two students – Alan Shuhaib and Thaha Fazal from the Kannur University were arrested after they were found distributing pro-Maoist propaganda materials in Kozhikode.
“We have re-registered the case on Wednesday and will take over the investigation in the coming days,” said an NIA official.
The two accused, who hailed from Thalassery, were handing out pro-Maoist pamphlets and shouting pro-Maoist slogans when they were arrested by from the Pantheerankavu market. The two accused were protesting against the gunning down of alleged Maoists by the Thunderbolt force in the forests of Palakkad.
The Kerala police had booked the two accused under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by the Pantheerankavu police station in Kozhikode district. Alan Shuhaib is the local Kozhikode Kallai Thiruvannur branch member of the party while Thaha is the DYFI unit secretary of the Pantheerankavu local branch.
On November 27, the Kerala High Court had dismissed the bail petitions of the two students, who were also CPI(M) activists. The court had admitted the evidence submitted by the police to prove the arrested students had Maoist links and denied them bail.
The arrest of the two students and charging them with the UAPA law had created an uproar against the CPI(M)-led LDF government. Facing severe protests over the arrests of two CPI(M) workers, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had taken a u-turn to say that his government would examine the slapping of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) charges against the two CPI(M) party workers.
However, the Kerala police have time and again stated it has solid evidence against two Communist party workers. The police had asserted that the duo had maintained contact with Maoist functionaries.