Muthoot Finance Company Ltd managing director (MD) George Alexander sustained injury on his head and has been admitted to a private hospital in the city allegedly after some miscreants pelted his car with stones on Tuesday. The incident occurred in the heart of city while Mr. Alexander was close to his company headquarters on Banerjee Road.
The City Central police registered a case and arrested two persons in connection with the attack. The arrested have been identified as Salim, 52, a headload worker, and Sasikumar, 54, a resident of Palluthury. A case has been registered against them invoking Sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 427 (mischief) of the Indian Penal Code.
According to a senior Muthoot official Mr. Alexander sustained injuries behind his left ear. He continued be in hospital. His condition is stable.
The attack appears to be the fallout of a standoff between the company management and a group of employees who are on strike since January 2 demanding that around 160 of their colleagues sacked since December last year be reinstated.
CITU blamed
The company management blamed activists of CPI(M)-affiliated Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) for orchestrating the attack while the secretary of the Non Banking Finance Company Employees’ Association C.C. Ratheesh blamed the management for triggering a drama over the strike in the company. “We were all at the venue of the strike and we have nothing to do with the attack on Mr. Alexander,” he said. Meanwhile, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) condemned the attack on Mr. Alexander.
“Industry and trade are all deeply concerned about the ongoing agitation and forcible blockade by a major political trade union against Muthoot Finance Ltd. in Kerala,” said a statement issued here. Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the police to chalk out modalities for providing protection to the employees who had been granted police protection by the court. The court passed the order when a petition relating to police protection was taken up for hearing. Government pleader P.P. Tajudeen submitted that police protection had been provided to the employees who were willing to work at the Muthoot head office.
