Kochi, Jan 23 Five CPI-M members have moved the Ernakulam sessions court seeking anticipatory bail in the abduction case of the woman councillor, Kala Raju, of the Koothattukulam municipality.
The alleged abduction of Raju occurred when she publicly expressed dissatisfaction with her party and indicated her intent to vote against CPI-M directives in a municipal poll on January 18.
She was reportedly assaulted and forcibly taken away by her own party members while she was attempting to participate in the voting process.
She recorded her statement on Wednesday before the magistrate.
The local police also arrested four CPI-M members related to the case however the Congress-led UDF and Raju stated that the arrested accused were not the real culprits.
After a furore in the ongoing Assembly session and the news that the arrested four accused were not the real culprits, the police booked a few others along with the five members who had approached the court for anticipatory bail.
All five CPI-M members have denied the allegations, describing the case as politically motivated and an attempt to tarnish their reputation.
In their anticipatory bail plea, they have alleged that Kala Raju has been influenced by UDF workers and that the present complaint, filed by her children, is only an attempt to defame CPI-M workers.
"The mother of the de facto complainant is influenced by the UDF party workers and counsellors. The instant crime is registered in pursuant to a planned attempt to defame and corner the CPI-M party workers," the petition read.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) - to which the CPI-M belongs - presently holds 13 seats in the municipal council, which forms the majority of the 25-member council.
The LDF is facing opposition from 11 UDF members and one independent member.
The UDF had planned to move a no-confidence motion against the municipal body's chairperson, Vijaya Sivan from the CPI-M on January 18, but due to the massive uprising which led to the extent of Raju coming under attack and also saw her dress being torn and forcefully taken away in a car.
It was based on Raju's children that a criminal complaint in the matter, in which 50 individuals from the CPI-M were accused of being complicit in the alleged crime. However, the four who were earlier arrested were given a rousing reception when they came out of the jail on Thursday by the local CPI-M workers.
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