Actor Joju George objects to Congress road blockade, injured in melee
The Hindu
Two cases registered against party workers
A blockade of the Vyttila-Edappally NH bypass organised by the Ernakulam District Congress Committee (DCC) on Monday against the spiralling fuel price caused traffic snarls on the stretch and choked traffic on other roads in the city. Actor Joju George, who objected to the blockade, was injured in a stand-off with the party workers and the rear windscreen of his car was shattered in the melee.
The Maradu police registered two cases against the party activists. They have been charged with under Indian Penal Code Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and 283 (posing danger or obstruction in public way) and under Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020 for gathering in violation of social-distancing norms, in a suo motu case by the police. In addition, they have been charged under IPC Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) 294 B (use of obscene words), 427 (a mischief that caused damage) and 506 (criminal intimidation), apart from Kerala Prevention of Damage to Private Property and Payment of Compensation Act, 2019, based on a complaint by the actor.