11 gang members wanted for attack on police held

Thiruvananthapuram: Eleven members of a criminal gang---allegedly involved in an attack on local residents and policemen on duty at Neyyardam and Kottur were arrested by rural police on Sunday. They had hurled petrol bombs at the cops on Thursday and had gone into hiding. One of the policemen was injured in the attack.
The arrested persons were identified as Asif, 25, of Uzhamalakkal, Waseem, 22, of Poovachal, Ashiq, 19, of Perukulam, Sibi Vijayan, 22, of Aruvikkara, Renjith, 22, and Ahijith, 22, of Veeranakavu, Ratheesh, 22, and Anu, 31, of Amboori, Sambhu, 23, of Kulathummal, Ajith, 23, of Vazhichal and Harikrishnan, 23, of Veeranakavu.
The gang attacked the police team after the cops made a few arrests following reports about the sale of ganja and illicit liquor. Many of the gang members had earlier been imprisoned after being convicted in various cases. They are accused in cases pertaining to murder, attempt at murder, housebreak and chain-snatching at different stations of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Vysakh who was remanded into custody on charges of attempt at murder on a motorist is also a member of the gang. Police said they supply drugs and arrange hideouts for criminals wanted in many cases.
Sources said they attacked the policemen fearing that a combing operation would deprive them of their safe hideouts used for brewing illicit liquor and other criminal activities.
Some of these members are allegedly involved in attacks on police at Kattakada, Panniyode and Thiruvananthapuram. The police recovered weapons and motorcycles from the forest near Nellikkunnu Colony.
According to the police officers, after they began a hunt for the gang members, they scattered into different groups. However, as they went deeper into the forests, they lost their way. Police were assisted by forest department officials in nabbing the accused.
Kattakada DSP Prasanth, Nedumangadu DSP M Anilkumar, Neyyardam SI S Bijoy, GSIs Sasikumaran Nair, Rameshan, Mahadeva Marar, Rajasekharan, ASIs Unnikrishnan Potti, civil police officer Tino Joseph, and shadow cops Shafi, Jyothish, and Mahesh were part of the team that arrested the gang members.
In the attack on the cops that happened on Thursday night, a few members of the gang threatened a three-member night patrol squad at Kottoor junction, brandishing swords at them. Though the cops tried to catch them, they fled on their motorcycles. Later, they returned with even more members and hurled stones at the police vehicle, injuring civil police officer Jino Joseph who was immediately taken to a nearby hospital.
Following the incident, the rural SP pressed all vehicle units under Kattakkada and Nedumangad police subdivisions into service to nab the assailants.
Though the cops cornered the assailants at Nellikkunnu Colony, the latter launched an attack using petrol bombs and stones. In this attack, a police vehicle attached to Malayinkeezh station was destroyed. The accused then managed to escape into the forest near the colony.