Ex-MLA, Cong workers booked for 'manhandling' youth in Kerala

A case has been registered against a former Congress MLA and a group of party workers for allegedly manhandling a youth for questioning their recentpurporteddining at a restaurant here violating COVID-19 protocols, police said on Tuesday.

The case was registered based on the complaint of the youth, a native of the district.

The police had already registered a case against the hotel for allegedly violating the health protocols and allowing Alathur MP and Congress leader Ramya Haridas and her party workers, including former MLA V T Balram to sit inside the restaurant on Sunday.

A video has gone viral in which a youth is purportedly seen questioning the MP and her party workers, who were seen sitting inside a hotel at Chandra Nagar near here.

''Based on the complaint, lodged by the youth, a case was registered against former Trithala MLA, V T Balram, local Congress leader Palayam Pradeep and some others,'' a police official told PTI.

The case was filed under IPC 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 read with section 34 (criminal intimidation), the official added.

The video clip showed Haridas and other Congress leaders of the district sitting around a table with a glass of water for each of them.

The youth was seen questioning the MP for violating COVID-19 health protocols to which the latter replied that she had ordered a parcel and was waiting for the same.

The youth pointed out that no one was allowed inside any restaurant in the state.

Later, another video also surfaced on social media showing MP's co-party workers allegedly manhandling the youth who recorded the video.

Later, the youth took treatment at a district hospital, police added.

The MP had, however, rejected the allegation and claimed that she went to get a parcel and the hotel staff allowed her to sit inside as she was unable to stand due to leg pain.

She also denied the allegation that her party workers roughed up the youth and alleged that someone tried to grab her hand in the melee.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)