Gym owner Jay Kumar Pillai was attacked with swords on June 5
A gym owner is in hospital in Kerala after being attacked with swords earlier this month, allegedly by the drug mafia.
Jay Kumar Pillai is known for mobilizing a group of citizens to fight drug abuse among children in Kayankulam town. He was instrumental in reporting people allegedly involved in a drug racket to the police.
On June 5, he was attacked over 20 times when he was on his way home after shutting his gym, at around 9 pm.
"They stopped my car and attacked me with a sword. There were seven or 10 of them. They slashed my hand," Mr Pillai said from his hospital bed in Kochi, swathed in bandages, on Friday, which is being marked as the International Day against Drug Abuse.
The activist was in the ICU for two weeks after the attack.
"He came with several injuries, including head injuries, multiple fractures on arms and legs. We have done two reconstructive surgeries but more will be required. It's unlikely that he can return to his normal functioning in near future," said Doctor Bhaskara KG from the Medical Trust in Ernakulam.
Mr Pillai said he had been filing complaints against the drug mafia for a year.
"Three months ago, a minister came to our village. At the time, we sent him a mass petition and on the same day we received a warning from the mafia, that if we complained against them, they would kill us," he said.
He alleges that some of his attackers had been released earlier by the police after being arrested on his information.
"The police told me that they only care about major quantities of drugs. If they catch a peddler with a small amount, they'll release him in a few days. This is why people are like them are roaming free," he said.
The police denied it. "The accused in this case have been identified and have nothing to do with the ealier drug racket. This is an attack based for personal vengeance in an area familiar with local street clashes," senior police officer Devamanohar S told NDTV.