Tension prevails at Karipur airport

KOZHIKODE: Tension continued to simmer between the CISF and Airport Authority staff at Kozhikode international airport with both blaming each other for Wednesday’s violence.

The Airport Authority Employees Union has  threatened to go on strike if the state police do not release the fire service personnel who have been arrested on charges of culpable homicide and preventing  a public servant   from doing his duty.

They also accused the  CISF of  taking revenge against them for complaining against inspector Seetharam Choudhary to the Airport Director.

The CISF is unhappy over  the airport authority staff releasing selected footages from the CCTV recordings, which show the CISF personnel attacking public property inside the airport terminal. 

The fire service personnel have also accused the  CISF of  releasing their  visual assaulting Seetharam Choudhary outside the cargo complex gate, which led to the accidental shooting and violence.

“Though the airport is getting back to normal, the tension is evident. We do not want to come face-to- face with the CISF personnel and there is unease  when the airport staff are being frisked by their men. The tension will not ease unless the authorities help change  the behaviour of both the staff and CISF men,” a senior airport official said.

Airport Director Janardhanan told DC that confidence- building measures had  been taken to  improve the working relationship between the AAI staff and CISF. “Whatever happened should not have happened and if anybody had any complaints, we are here to solve the issues,” he added.

Meanwhile,  there were charges that  some of the members involved in the violence were drunk.

“The CISF men say Aji Kumar, fire authority supervisor, was drunk and that he had tried to assault CISF inspector Seetharam Chaudhary.  The fire service personnel say the CISF men, who rushed to the help of their colleagues from the barracks,  were drunk and that it was evident in the CCTV visuals.   The situation could have been worse but for our timely intervention at the spot.  The CISF even tried to block the police from entering the area,” a senior police official said.