Kochi: In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, the Ernakulam rural police executed two major ganja seizures on Tuesday, netting a total of 35 kilograms of cannabis. The operations took place at two different locations in Aluva, leading to the arrest of several individuals.
First Seizure at Thottakkattukara
In the first incident, police apprehended four individuals traveling in an autorickshaw at Thottakkattukara. The accused were identified as Sujan Mandal (31), Inafool Mandal (26), and Mafeekul Mandal (25), all from Murshidabad, West Bengal, along with Asad (41), a resident of Aluva. They were found in possession of 25 kilograms of cannabis. According to police, the contraband was being transported from Angamaly to Aluva. The group claimed that the ganja was intended for the auto driver Asad, who was paying Rs 18,000 per kilogram.
Second Seizure at Desam
In a separate operation, police arrested three more individuals at Desam, also in Aluva. The arrested persons were identified as Rakesh Mandal (25), Bappi Biswas (28), and Mafikul Biswas (22), all from Murshidabad. They were caught with 10 kilograms of ganja, which was hidden in a bag wrapped in clothes. The group was traveling from Angamaly to Kuttamassery. The seized drugs were reportedly transported from Odisha by train.
The arrests were carried out by a special investigation team led by District Police Chief K.S. Sudarshan. Both operations highlight the ongoing efforts to curb drug trafficking in the region.
Man Arrested for ATM Card Theft
In another development, Aluva police arrested a 41-year-old man in connection with the assault and theft of an ATM card. The accused, Ratheesh, from Kattappana, Idukki, was taken into custody around 11 p.m. on Monday. Police reported that he attacked a resident of Kanjoor near the footbridge in the Aluva Palace area and snatched his ATM card. The investigation was conducted by Inspector K.G. Gopakumar, Sub-Inspectors Sajeesh and Vinilkumar, Assistant Sub-Inspector Swapna, and CPO Aravind.
Attempted Theft at Convent
Separately, a 41-year-old man named Tarunmunda, a native of Sivasagar, Assam, was arrested for attempting to steal from a convent in Aluva early Tuesday morning. The investigation team included Inspector K.G. Gopakumar, Sub-Inspectors K.K. Abdul Rahman and Sajeesh, Assistant Sub-Inspector Abdul Jaleel, and CPO Aravind.
Two Police Officers Suspended
In a significant disciplinary action, two police officers were suspended following a directive from the Supreme Court for failing to register a case based on a Dalit woman's complaint. The suspended officers are former Panangad Station House Officer (now Aroor SHO) Bibindas and Panangad Sub-Inspector Muneer.
According to reports, a six-member group attacked the 28-year-old woman from Chathamma, Panangad, because she married a Christian man. The attackers stopped the woman, who was with two others, on the road, verbally abused her, grabbed her hand, and assaulted her with sticks. The woman also alleged that she was physically harassed with sexual intent. The accused were identified as Tiben Xavier, Johnson, Joshi, Nithin, Thomas, and another identifiable person from Kumbalam.
Following the incident, both the woman and the attackers approached the police with complaints. However, the police registered a case only on the attackers' complaint. Consequently, one of the two persons allegedly attacked by the gang approached the Supreme Court with an anticipatory bail application. During the hearing, it came to the court's attention that the police had not registered a case based on the complaint filed by the Dalit woman. To investigate this, the court summoned the Kochi City Police Assistant Commissioner and requested an affidavit. Subsequently, the court ordered the registration of a case based on the woman's complaint and action against the police officers who failed to register it.
