Sending out a clear message that vandalism to fan religious animosity will not be tolerated, the Ernakulam Rural police are gearing up to slap the accused in the demolition of a film set in Kalady with the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA).
The Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance will also be invoked against the accused since the act was committed amidst the pandemic. Members of a right wing Hindu fringe group had on Sunday allegedly vandalised the set, a replica of a church, built along the banks of the Periyar for shooting of Minnal Murali, directed by Basil Joseph, with Tovino Thomas in the lead.
Six arrests so far
The Special Investigation Team probing the case arrested four more persons on Tuesday, taking the total number of arrests in the case to six. The arrested were identified as Rahul Raj, 19, of Akanad; Rahul, 23, of Iringor; Gokul, 25, of Koovappady; and Sandeep Kumar, 33 of Vazhappilli. Five more accused remain to be arrested.
Criminal antecedents
Two accused, including the prime accused Ratheesh, aka Kara Ratheesh, who reportedly have links with a right-wing group and an accused in several criminal cases, were arrested on Monday. They were produced before court and remanded in Tuesday.
The arrested have also been charged with Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 153 (wanton provocation with intent to cause riot), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 454 (trespass to commit offence), 427 (causing damage) and 380 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code.
In a Facebook post made shortly after the vandalisation, Hari Palode, general secretary of the Antharashtra Hindu Parishad (AHP), had claimed that the set was demolished by the activists of the Bajrang Dal since “complaints against erecting the structure in front of Lord Mahadeva on Kalady Manappuram (sandbank) did not yield results’’.
