CPI(M) leader's son, daughter-in-law attacked

A worker of a right-wing Hindu outfit has been arrested in connection with the alleged attack on a CPI(M) leader's son and his journalist daughter-in-law during a shutdown called by the outfits in Kerala Saturday, police said.

Julius Nikithas and wife Saniyo Manomi, working with a leading Malayalam news channel, were attacked at Kuttiady as they were going to a hospital in a car to visit a patient. Police Sunday said that a worker of a right wing outfit has been arrested in connection with the attack and a search was on to nab nine others. Nikithas, son of party district secretary P Mohanan, suffered head injuries and Manomi was also injured.

The couple have been admitted to the government medical college hospital here. The CPI(M) had alleged that they were attacked by activists belonging to the Sangh Parivar. Right-wing Hindu outfits had observed a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Kerala Saturday in protest against the "preventive detention" of Hindu Aikya Vedi state president P Sasikala, who was on a pilgrimage to the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple.

Sasikala was taken into preventive custody Saturday after she allegedly defied directions not to spend the night near the temple complex. Police had decided not to allow devotees enter the temple premises when it was closed for the night. Sasikala, who was on a fast at the Ranni police station, protesting her detention, was later produced before the sub-divisional magistrate, who is also the Thiruvalla Revenue Divisonal officer (RDO), and granted bail.