In a major embarrassment to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a local court in Kerala sent his son-in-law and Democratic Youth Federation of India President Muhammed Riyaz and CPM MLA TV Rajesh to judicial custody for 14 days in connection with a case in 2009.
According to the reports, on Tuesday, the Judicial First Class Magistrate P Vinod sent Riyaz and Rajesh on judicial remand for orchestrating a violent march near the Air India office in Kozhikode to protest against the air tariff hike and reduction in the flight services by the national carrier. A case was registered against four people, including Rajesh, for breaking the law after the DYFI protests had turned violent.
The accused, including Pinarayi Vijayan’s son-in-law Mohammed Riyaz were out on bail and wanted to get it extended. The accused had taken bail in the 2009 case and then failed to appear before the court even after many notices and warrants were served.
Accused granted bail
Later, they had approached the JFCM court as per a direction by the High Court to get the bail extended by the trial court. However, the JFCM sent them to judicial remand.
DYFI leader KK Dinesan was also detained in the case till March 16. Another accused in the case did not attend the proceedings on Tuesday.
However, all the accused who were remanded earlier, including Vijayan’s son-in-law Riyaz were granted bail on Wednesday.
Mohammed Riyaz, the DYFI national president, married Pinarayi’s daughter Veena last year in a private ceremony. Riyas is infamous for leading ‘beef cooking’ protests after the centre sought to regulate cattle purchase and sale. He had also unsuccessfully contested for the Kozhikode Lok Sabha seat in 2019.