Abdul Nazir Madhani arrested...surrendered

Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express

Anwarserri (Kollam) , Aug 17

Bringing an end to the four days long uncertainty, Peoples Democratic
Party chairman Abdul Nazir Madhani was arrested by the Karnataka
police from Anwarserri in Karanagapally on Tuesday afternoon.

A police team led by Bangalore Joint Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar
arrested Madhani with the support of the Kerala Police while Madhani
started from Anwarsseri to surrender before the Karunagapally court.
The arrest took place a few hours before the deadline of the
non-bailable warrant pending against him.

The police bandobast at Anwarasseri was strengthened on Tuesday
morning by deploying more police personnel. The Bomb Detection and
Defusal Squad and the Dog Squad searched the entire area surrounding
Anwarserri. Besides a riot control bus stationed at Anwarserry over
the last couple of days, a water cannon was also brought on Tuesday
morning. Thiruvananthapuram-range IG A.Hemachandran and Kollam SP
Harshita Attaluri gave necessary instructions to the police over
wireless set phone from the nearby Shastamcota police station.

By around 12.15 Madhani convened a press conference at Anwarserri and
said that he would immediately surrender before a near by court after
a prayer along with the inmates of Anwarserri. While the gate of
Anwarserri was opened by around 1.15 p.m. for Madhani to leave
Anwarserry in his van along with his wife Soofiya and PDP leaders, a
heavy posse of police led by SP Harthita Attaluri trooped into the
premises of Anwaserri and cordoned the van. Though there was initial
resistance from PDP activists and the inmates of Anwarserri, the
leaders pacified them.

Subsequently, Joint Commissioner Alok Kumar who also entered
Anwarserri under tight police protection, executed the arrest of
Madhani. By that time IG Hemachandran also reached the spot and
reviewed the situations. The police took control over Madhani’s
vehicle and drove it towards the Thiruvananthapuram airport under
tight police security.

On the way, Madhani’s van suffered mechanical defect near Kottarakara
and he was shifted to another police vehicle and the journey to the
Airport resumed.

A five-member Bangalore police team comprising Joint Commissioner Alok
Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Omkarayya and Inspector Sidhappa took
Madhani to Bangalore by evening.

In the meantime, PDP supporters who were camping at Karunagapally
court since the morning following reports that he would be
surrendering, had turned violent. Traffic along the National Highway
was slightly disrupted at Karunagapally and several shops closed down.

Earlier addressing the press, Madhani said the case against him was
part of a larger conspiracy by certain political parties and other
groups to wipe out him as well the ideologies he had been practicing.
It is a message that the Indian judicial system could be manipulated
in any way trap a person,” he said.

``The observations by certain sections that I am trying to ignite
communal sentiments by showing Quran was baseless, he said and also
appealed that his arrest should not lead to any communal tensions in
the state. Any protest should be carried out only in the democratic
manner,’’ he said.

He also said that over the last couple of days he had been receiving
number of calls from political leaders and social activists expressing
moral support.

A Bangalore court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Madhani on
June 15 after he was arraigned as an accused in the Bangalore blast
case. After the Karanataka High Court denied the anticipatory bail
plea of Madhani a police team from Karanataka led by Inspector
Sidhappa reached the State on August 10 to arrest Madhani.

The State police however kept off from an action till August 13 owing
to the security arrangements for the visit of President. On August 14,
Kollam SP Harshita Attaluri made and advance to Anwarserry and
deployed heavy posse of police. Since then uncertainty was prevailing
over the arrest of Madhani, learnt to be due to political reasons.
Subsequently Joint Commissioner Alok Kumar and Deputy Commissioner
Omkarayya came down to Kerala on Monday and insisted on an arrest.

ends