Kerala police to focus on Peace School book publishers

Kochi: The questioning of the Peace School authorities in the controversial textbook case would be delayed. The cops are planning to complete the questioning of three publishers of the magazine before summoning anyone related to the school. According to top police sources,  Akbar who is not in Kerala at present would not be questioned anytime soon.  The city police are taking the statements of Dawood Vaid, the founder of Burooj Realisation, who published the controversial textbook.

It  was purchased by the Peace International School for the second standard students  of  their schools in Kochi.  The other two accused in the case are Sahil Sayed and Shaik Sameed Ahmed, his employees. “We have no plans to summon Akbar now. We need to complete the questioning of other accused and collect evidence,” a top source said.  The  textbook was not available in the open market as it was distributed according to  order. The custody period of the three accused is set to expire on Friday.

Akbar had maintained that they only purchased the textbook and had  removed the controversial chapter from the curriculum soon after it was found objectionable. The textbook dealt with the conversion of a particular community. K.Laljy, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ernakulam,  is heading the probe. The cops slapped section 153(A) for promoting enmity among different groups on the ground of religion against the accused. After the cops registered a case,  Akbar had called a press conference denying the reports.