Police crackdown on students’ anti-drug meet sparks outrage

Inspector Sumesh Sudhakaran sneering astatine the students aft stopping their anti-drug league astatine Perinthalmanna. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Police disruption of a monolithic pupil anti-drug league organised by the Wisdom Islamic Students Organisation astatine Perinthalmanna connected Sunday (May 11) has sparked wide outrage.

A squad of constabulary officers led by Inspector Sumesh Sudhakaran allegedly forcibly stopped the league arsenic it was astir to reason astatine 10.06 p.m. The organisers had been fixed support until 10 p.m.

Thousands of students, astir of them professional, watched the constabulary enactment successful dismay arsenic Mr. Sudhakaran and his squad reportedly shouted astatine the organisers. A video of Mr. Sudhakaran sneering astatine the students aft halting their league has gone viral connected societal media, sparking further outrage.

“It was a gathering against drugs held with a blessing connection from our Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,” said T.K. Ashraf, wide caput of the Wisdom Islamic Students Organisation.

He said the conscionable was organised successful specified a mode arsenic to decorativeness good earlier 10 p.m. “We planned the conscionable for 20,000 students. But it took immoderate other clip for america to marque arrangements for the 25,000 students who turned up for the conscionable from antithetic parts of the State. Still, we were astir to reason by 10.10 p.m. But it was unfortunate that the constabulary made a atrocious amusement by disrupting a well-organised programme conscionable 2 oregon 3 minutes earlier its earthy end,” said Mr. Ashraf.

The constabulary said they did their duty, and that the organisers had been antecedently warned not to transcend the 10-p.m. deadline.

District Police Chief R. Viswanath ordered an probe into the incidental connected the ground of complaints from assorted persons. The Perinthalmanna DySP has begun an inquiry.

“It is excessively aboriginal to remark now. We are waiting for the enquiry report. Any further enactment volition beryllium connected the ground of it,” said Mr. Viswanath.

“When the constabulary called america astatine 10.03 p.m. asking america to upwind up, we told them that the valedictory remarks were going on, and that it would beryllium implicit successful little than 5 minutes. Still, they behaved truthful severely by disrupting it astatine 10.06 p.m.,” said Wisdom pupil person Shahabas K. Abbas. “It is specified a deplorable enactment by the police,” said Dr. Abbas.

Mr. Ashraf criticised the police’s selective approach, questioning wherefore they disrupted an anti-drug gathering portion allowing late-night events similar deejay parties utilizing drugs and liquor to run without intervention.

E.T. Mohammed Basheer, MP, P.K. Kunhalikutty, MLA, Najeeb Kanthapuram, MLA, Rahul Mamkootathil, MLA, K.P.A. Majeed, MLA, Congress person Rijil Makkutty, P.K. Basheer, MLA, KPCC caput P.T. Ajaymohan, Muslim Youth League wide caput P.K. Firos, Muslim Students Federation State president P.K. Navas, Muslim Youth League nationalist caput T.P. Ashrafali, Malappuram DCC president V.S. Joy, vice president Shaji Pachery, Youth Congress territory president Haris Mudur, Youth League Kannur territory president Naseer Nallur and respective different politicians condemned the constabulary behaviour.

Published - May 13, 2025 11:31 p.m. IST