Kochi, Jul 17 (PTI) Kerala police on Monday booked 15 persons, including two Congress MLAs Roji M John and Saneeshkumar Joseph for allegedly trying to forcibly release from a police lockup two students arrested in connection with an issue in their college in nearby Kalady.

Police alleged that John, representing Angamaly constituency, and Saneeshkumar, representing Chalakkudy seat in the Assembly, created a "terror atmosphere" when they reached the Kalady police station on Sunday to forcefully release an arrested KSU worker and his friend.

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The Kerala Students Union (KSU) is the student wing of the Congress in Kerala.

Police said the KSU worker and another student were arrested for allegedly obstructing the duty of the police, who had reached Kalady Sree Sankara College in connection with a case.

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According to the police, 15 persons, including John and Saneeshkumar were booked under nine sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 143 (unlawful assembly), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 452 (House-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrong­ful restraint).

In a Facebook post, John, who is also secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), said they intervened when the police were trying to "hunt down" the KSU workers at the behest of the ruling CPI(M).

He alleged that the KSU unit president and his friend, who were not even named in an FlR, were arrested from their homes at midnight, handcuffed, and made to sit on the platform of a police jeep before being brought to the police station and locked up in a cell without even providing a glass of water.

Condemning the police action against the KSU workers, the MLA said no Congress worker can sit silently and witness such acts committed by the police.

"That is why we reacted strongly. If the police act impartially, we will cooperate. If they (police) take CPI(M)'s quotation and hunt down KSU activists and Congressmen, then the Congress workers will react like this again," he said, adding such cases will be fought politically and legally.

Meanwhile, ruling CPI(M) sources alleged that the KSU worker and his friend were arrested in connection with a ragging case at the college.

They said workers of various organisations allied with the CPI(M) would hold protest marches towards MLA John's office to protest against his "illegal acts".

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)