Kerala Congress Leader Arrested for Blocking CM Satheesan's Convoy

Thiruvananthapuram police have arrested Anil Kumar, known as Chenthi Anil, a District Congress Committee (DCC) member, in connection with an incident on Friday where Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan's convoy was allegedly blocked within the Sreekaryam police station limits.

The Sreekaryam police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Mr. Anil on Friday. He was taken into custody in the early hours of Saturday. The police have charged him under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections related to wrongful restraint, intimidation, and obstructing public servants from performing their duty.

The incident occurred when Mr. Satheesan was en route to the Sree Narayana Gurukulam at Chempazhanthy for the Guru Jayanthi celebrations. Near Kazhakuttam, a group including Mr. Anil waved down the convoy and protested. They allegedly misbehaved with the Chief Minister when he stepped out of his car to speak with them.

Mr. Anil was reportedly part of the organising committee for a separate Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi event at Chenthi, which was not on the Chief Minister's official schedule. Sources in the Chief Minister's Office indicated that Mr. Satheesan had been advised against attending the Chenthi event based on intelligence inputs, and his office had informed the organisers a week prior that he would be unable to attend.

Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee president in-charge N. Sakthan stated that Mr. Anil would be suspended from the party. Rejecting Mr. Anil's claim that the police action was part of a factional feud within the Congress, Mr. Sakthan asserted that no factional split exists in the DCC. He questioned why no one else felt compelled to waylay the Chief Minister, suggesting Mr. Anil may have had a personal issue with him.

Mr. Anil has denied the charges. He is expected to be produced in court later on Saturday.