BJP Kerala president K Surendran on Tuesday said the action of the Kerala Police in granting station bail to the accused, who had pelted stone at the Vande Bharat express near Thirur, is a serious lapse on the part of the state police.
In a statement here, Surendran alleged that the Kerala Police are trying to protect the accused. He asked the police to charge the accused with the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, as he destroyed the public property.
Surendran asked whether the Kerala police are so stupid to believe that a piece of plastic pipe was mistakenly hit at the train while playing. He said the attitude of the police who did not take the pelting of stone at the train seriously after the Elathur train attack is not correct. There has been political pressure on the police, he alleged.
Surendran also said that it should be investigated if the accused is connected with any subversive organizations
Muhammad Rizwan, a native of Thanur in the Malappuram district was arrested for pelting the Vande Bharat Express train with a stone. He was arrested on Monday and then released on station bail.
The accused had given a statement to the police denying that he had thrown stones at the train and was instead playing near the train tracks with a plastic pipe , which he was twirling around with his hands, and the same hit the train.
The alleged incident of stone pelting took place on May 1 when the train was passing through an area between Thirunavaya and Thirur.According to Railway officials, the glass window pane of seats 63 and 64 of C4 coach developed cracks due to stone pelting.