Kochi, 30 June (H.S.):The arrest of a man accused of carrying out a brutal hammer attack inside a bar in Mattancherry has triggered fresh political embarrassment for the Congress, as the accused had attended a recent anti-drug solidarity meeting in Kochi where senior Congress leader and Kannur MP K. Sudhakaran was the chief guest.
The accused, identified as Shibu, was arrested by the Mattancherry police along with another man, Shihab, for allegedly attacking a local resident, Shemeer, during a drunken altercation at a bar on Monday afternoon. Police have booked the duo on charges including attempt to murder, alleging that they acted with common intention.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the incident occurred around 2.30 p.m. when an argument broke out between Shemeer and the two accused while they were consuming alcohol at the bar. Investigators said the verbal dispute quickly turned violent, with Shibu allegedly grabbing the victim by the neck before pulling out a hammer concealed on his person and repeatedly striking him on the head and face. Shihab is also accused of assaulting the victim by punching, kicking and pushing him during the attack.
Police said CCTV footage from the bar captured the assault. The visuals reportedly show Shemeer attempting to re-enter the premises after initially fleeing, only to be attacked again. Shibu is seen repeatedly hitting him with the hammer while Shihab allegedly restrained and pushed the victim to the ground. Shemeer sustained critical, life-threatening injuries and is undergoing treatment.
The arrest has drawn fresh attention because Shibu had attended a public meeting in Kochi nearly two weeks ago to express solidarity with the Kerala government's anti-narcotics campaign, 'Operation Toofan', where K. Sudhakaran was the chief guest. Photographs and videos from the event showed Shibu seated in the front row during the programme.
The meeting had already attracted criticism after alleged history-sheeters, gang members and persons with criminal backgrounds were seen among the attendees. Shibu's arrest has intensified the controversy, with critics arguing that it reinforces concerns over the presence of alleged criminal elements at the gathering.
The Ernakulam District Congress Committee (DCC) has distanced itself from the event, stating that it had no prior knowledge of the programme and was not associated with its organisers.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala clarified that the meeting attended by Sudhakaran had no connection with the Kerala government's official 'Operation Toofan' anti-narcotics campaign.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
