Kerala: Hostage' turns to Facebook for support

KOZHIKODE: Mr Arun Arsha,   village officer of Mayyil, is a wiser man now.  He was locked up in his office for three hours a week ago by the sand mafia who took away the lorry  seized by him for illegal mining of sand at Mayyil. His Facebook post on his  plight has gone  viral  with hundreds coming to his support.  He said the criminals’ act had made him unsure of being honest and truthful.  

Arun Arsha’s post on his plight

The gang  took away the keys of the vehicle from his draw,  showered abuses on him and threatened him with dire consequences for his action. According to Arun, none from his department   supported him or  questioned  the criminal act  of the gang.  “I am humiliated now and I no longer want  to continue in the same place.  So I am giving my transfer application,”  he said. 

His mistake was to decline the temptations  offered by the criminals, he added. “Illegal  sand miners enjoy the  support of the higher authorities. The sand mining will destroy the river beds.  I even had to take back the complaint filed against the gang  due to the pressure from the authorities,” he lamented.