Kerala Police on Tuesday said that it would foot the medical expenses of the officers who were injured in Christmas day violence at Kizhakkambalam area of Ernakulam district in which 164 migrant workers of Kitex garments have been arrested. A release issued by the State Police Media Centre said that State Police Chief Anil Kant has decided that money already spent by the injured officers on their treatment would be reimbursed.
It also said that the police will pay for any further treatment required by the officers injured in the violence. On Monday, during a press conference, Kitex MD Sabu Jacob had said that if the government permits it then his company will bear the expenses of the treatment being provided to the injured officers. He had, however, also questioned the police action of arresting 164 of his migrant employees, alleging that the step was taken without any evidence and he also claimed that only 13 of those arrested were actual culprits.
Jacob has alleged that such a large number of company workers were arrested to harm him, his business and his political outfit - Twenty20. Police arrested 164 migrant workers from the quarters provided for the labourers inside the Kitex garments industrial complex and till Monday night around 76 of them have been remanded to judicial custody.
Eight policemen, including a Circle Inspector, were injured in the violence and subsequently, police lodged two cases -- one for the assault on the officers, which also includes attempt to murder charges and the other, for destruction of police vehicles. On Christmas night, celebrations by migrant labourers from the north east part of India at Kizhakkambalam turned violent, leading to several policemen being brutally assaulted and two police jeeps badly damaged, with one set on fire.
Visuals of the violence which went viral on social media showed a large group of people surrounding the police vehicles, climbing on top of them, pelting them with stones and then thrashing them with sticks, leaving the vehicles in shambles. Subsequently, after the policemen retreated to safety, the workers set fire to one of the vehicles.
-With PTI Inputs
