Kerala: Dalit girls get bail, outrage over their arrest spreads

KANNUR: A nationwide outrage against sending two Dalit sisters and an 18-month-old baby has led to their release on conditional bail. Akhila, 30, and Anjuna, 25, daughters of INTUC leader N. Rajan, were remanded on Friday and sent to the women’s cell of the Kannur Central Prison. Ms Akhila’s daughter Advika was also with them.

National Commission for Scheduled Castes chairperson Dr P.L. Punia said he would seek a report from the DGP as well as the SP, while top Congress leaders and Dalit rights activists protested, both online and offline. Thalassery chief judicial first class magistrate court granted them bail on the condition that they should report to the nearby police station every week and surrender their passports.

“The attack on the Dalit sisters calling their caste and the arrest and jailing along with an infant is shocking. The police officers behind this act, where the victims were jailed, will be brought before the law,” said Dr Punia. DGP Loknath Behera sought a report from North Zone ADGP Sudesh Kumar. Mr Kumar, who is away, said he had directed the IG and the SP to probe the matter personally, and he would take over the investigation as soon as he is back.

The sisters, from Kuttimakkool near Thalassery, were detained on a complaint by DYFI Thiruvangad East Village Committee joint-secretary Shijil, who said the women entered the party office on June 11 and attacked him. However, the sisters say they only questioned the CPM workers, when they insulted them while they were passing by from the party office on the second floor of the building.

The bail was granted on a petition by Mr Rajan on Saturday. Rajan’s family said the women were called to the police station under the pretext of recording their statements in a case they filed, and they were taken to Kannur Second Class Magistrate court, and from there to the women’s cell.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, who visited the sisters, said it was unfortunate that the Chief Minister is still unaware of the incident. Earlier, Congress leader K. Sudhakaran and K.C. Joseph MLA visited them in jail.