Latest news with #Anandu
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Nilambur bypoll: Teen's death sparks blame game
Kozhikode: The death of 15-year-old Anandu, who was electrocuted by a live wire trap at Vazhikkadavu, sparked a political row between UDF and LDF amid Nilambur byelection. UDF blamed the state govt linking the incident to rising man-animal conflicts in the high-range constituency and blocked the state highway at Nilambur on Saturday night in protest. LDF alleged a political conspiracy behind the incident. Forest minister AK Saseendran even suggested it might have been staged to gain political mileage. The minister's remarks, later echoed by CPM leaders and party state secretary MV Govindan, led Congress and IUML workers to intensify their protests and burn Saseendran in effigy at Vazhikkadavu. Youth Congress activists also staged a protest outside Kozhikode guest house where the minister was staying. "Even before residents came to know about the incident protests began in Malappuram. This raises suspicion of UDF's attempts to use it as a campaign issue in Nilambur against LDF. A clear political conspiracy is emerging as it is election time and everyone knows who is the beneficiary. One cannot say it is illogical if they think it was carried out to protect the interests of those who benefit from such a controversy or if the incident was deliberately created to revive their campaigns which have run out of issues" alleged Saseendran. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo KPCC chief Sunny Joseph termed his remarks absurd and cruel. "The minister is a failure in addressing man-animal conflicts and is now shifting the blame on others. What happened was painful and the minister was stupid to call it a conspiracy. He doesn't have time to address such an issue and gives inhuman statements" he said, adding that the minister should prove his conspiracy charges or resign from his post. Govindan too echoed Saseendran's views saying the way UDF turned the incident into a political weapon raises suspicion. He added that the phone call records of the accused should be examined. Following the incident, candidates Aryadan Shoukath, M Swaraj, PV Anvar and Mohan George visited Anandu's home. UDF candidate Shoukath said Anandu was a martyr of unaddressed man-animal conflicts in the area and raised suspicion whether the practice of illegally drawing power from KSEB lines to set up traps was being done with its knowledge. "It is a govt-sponsored murder" he claimed. LDF candidate M Swaraj said exploiting a tragedy for electoral gains is inhuman. He said there were no protests when a person affiliated to Congress died in a similar mishap in the area two months ago. "How can deaths be politicized? It is inhuman to politically exploit such incidents" he added. CPM politburo member A Vijayaraghavan said UDF-ruled Vazhikkadavu panchayat had not acted promptly by engaging shooters and alleged that UDF was using tragic deaths for political gains.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Teen killed by electric snare meant for wild boar in Nilambur; 1 held
Kozhikode: A 15-year-old student, Anandu alias Jithu, was electrocuted after coming into contact with a live wire trap set for hunting wild boars at Vellakatta near Vazhikadavu in Nilambur on Saturday night. Two of his cousins, Yadukrishna, 24, and Shanu, 18, suffered injuries in the incident and are admitted to Nilambur district hospital and a private hospital. Anandu, son of Suresh and Shobha of Aamadan House at Atti near Vellakkatta at Vazhikadavu, was a class X student of Manimooli Christ King Higher Secondary School. Police arrested Nambyadan Vineesh, 36, of Puthiripadam for laying the live wire trap near a stream along the forest fringes. He was booked under Section 105 of the BNS (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and the investigation of the case was handed over to the district crime branch and DSP C Alavi. Police said Vineesh set up the live wire trap by illegally drawing power from the KSEB LP line next to the stream using a wooden pole with a metal hook. The five-member group, including Anandu's friends and relatives, had gone fishing in the Chattipara stream using nets when the incident happened around 8.30 pm. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The post-mortem report confirmed the death as due to electrocution and said the boy suffered three burn injuries, including in the stomach, on coming into contact with the live wire. Nilambur DSP Saju K Abraham said the accused was nabbed around 7.15am. He said that as of now, police had information about only one accused, but added that the investigation was underway. Police will be examining the call records of the accused as well, he said. Shyam Kumar, a resident of the area who took part in the rescue operation, said he was informed about the incident by Maneesh, who was part of the group. The three, including Anandu, had fallen into the stream after coming into contact with the live wire. He managed to pull Anandu out of the water with a pole but could not save him. The others were rescued after the fuse in the KSEB line was removed. "We had complained of poaching gangs illegally laying live wire traps extending to 500 metres by connecting it to the KSEB power line and asked authorities to make the overhead power line an insulated one," he said, adding that poachers had made the sale of wild meat a business in the area. Emotional scenes abounded when Anandu's body was placed for homage at the Manimooli school and later at his house. The funeral was held at the Kuttikunnu public cemetery near his house. There has been an increase in deaths due to electrocution from illegal fences and live wire traps laid to capture wild animals in the state. In 2023-24, 16 persons died due to contact with illegal fences in the state. According to electrical inspectorate officials, prior permission is required to install electric fencing, and an energiser is compulsory for installing fences to regulate the voltage supply to the fence. But in many cases, lines are illegally drawn from overhead KSEB power cables and connected to fences or traps.
