Kerala Police officer held for attack on journalist

Kochi, April 16 (IANS) The CBI, probing the role of some Kerala Police officials in the 2011 murderous attack on a Kollam-based senior journalist, Monday arrested a deputy superintendent of police, the second such high ranking official to be taken into custody in the case.

The official, N. Abdul Rasheed, was later presented before a CBI special court here which sent him to two days' custody of the agency.

He becomes the second such official to be arrested in this case.

While being taken to the court, Rashid said that he is being framed.

'I am not getting an opportunity to even say what I have to say and I am being framed,' shouted Rashid just before being presented at the court.

The attack on Kollam-based senior journalist V.B. Unnithan, working with Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi, took place in April last year.

He was attacked by a gang with iron rods which left him with multiple fractures in his legs, hands and ribs.

With the journalists protesting at the slow progress in the investigation, a three-member gang allegedly involved in the attack was first picked up. Later when the mediamen cried foul over they called shoddy investigation, Kerala Police zeroed on Deputy Superintend of Police Santhosh Nair, who was arrested for the assault and is now on bail.

The Oommen Chandy government, following request from the journalists, July last year handed over the case to the CBI.

Rashid's arrest was the first made by the CBI in the case.

The CBI is probing the role of Kerala Police officials some of whom were upset with Unnithan who had written a few articles on their working. Unnithan survived the attack though he was battered and critically injured.

The CBI is also probing the death of one man, 'Happy Rajesh', soon after the attack on Unnithan took place.