Sessions Court, Palakkad asks the prosecution to produce case diary of probe into alleged 'maoist' attack on food outlets

The KFC outlet in Palakkad that was attacked on December 22 last year

The Sessions court, Palakkad on Wednesday asked the Public Prosecutor to produce the case diary regarding the probe into the alleged ‘maoist’attack on two food outlets- McDonald’s and KFC, on December 22, to ascertain the Maoist links of the two arrested youths.

 

The Sessions Court gave the said direction to the Public Prosecutor when the arrested youths, Sreekanth Prabhakaran, a B.Ed student, and Arun Balan, a student of journalism, moved their bail applications. They were allegedly involved in the attack on the outlets of McDonald’s and KFC in Palakkad on December 22. Arrested on the same day, they were charged under various sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The Court orally observed that if the police could not find evidence for the arrested youths’ links with Maoism, the case would not attract charges under UAPA, and the offence could be only under Section 427 of the Indian Penal Code (causing damage to property).

The Public Prosecutor had told the court earlier that they were members of an eight member gang that had attacked food outlets under the leadership of a “comrade.’’ However, police could not find any other member of the gang despite questioning the arrested youths for two weeks in police custody.