Congress leader held for implicating fellow party member in false case

Wayanad (Kerala), Oct 5 (PTI) A Congress leader was arrested on Sunday for allegedly planting explosives and liquor at the residence of a fellow party member to implicate him in a false case at Pulpally in this high-range district, police said.

The arrested leader has been identified as Aneesh Mambalil (35). He is a Congress leader from Mullankolli panchayat near Pulpally.

According to police, Mambalil had been hiding in Kushalnagar, Karnataka, for several weeks before being taken into custody.

He was brought to Wayanad on Sunday, where formal arrest procedures were completed.

The case dates back to August 23, when police had arrested Augustine alias Thankachan (54) after seizing 20 packets of banned liquor sourced from Karnataka and 15 explosives, locally known as thotta (used for fish hunting), from his house.

Augustine, also a Congress leader, claimed someone else had planted the explosives and liquor, but he was initially remanded to judicial custody.

Further investigation revealed that Augustine had been implicated in a false case.

The contraband was allegedly planted by Prasad P S, a resident of Marakkadavu in Pulpally, reportedly as part of a factional feud within the party.

Police subsequently arrested Prasad, and a report filed by the police at the court led to Augustine’s release.

During interrogation, Prasad confessed that the explosives and liquor were planted at Augustine’s house on the instructions of Mambalil. Following Prasad’s arrest, Mambalil went into hiding.

The incident took a tragic turn when Jose Nelledam, a member of the Mullankolli grama panchayat who allegedly tipped off police about the contraband, died by suicide a few days after Augustine’s release. PTI TBA TBA KH