The arrest of the Dalit women under non-bailable sections was political move, the Congress alleges.
Two women arrested for allegedly attacking a CPM local worker inside CPM office in Kerala's Kannur district have been granted bail by a local court.
The two Dalit women, Akhila, 30, and Anjana, 25, sisters, were arrested under non-bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code and jailed on Friday. The jail authorities had allowed the 18-month-old baby of one of the two to stay with them.
The Congress has alleged that the arrest under non-bailable sections was due to a political rivalry, since the women's father, a local Congress leader, had contested local body elections against a CPM strongman from Thalassery.
Kerala's Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala has alleged a CPM-police collusion behind the arrest.
Speaking to NDTV on the political violence in the state, he said, "In the past also we have witnessed several such incidents of violence and atrocities, but police action has been questionable. If it continues this was, Pinarayi Vijayan should give up the post of Home Affairs. This is not how it works".
Congress Chief in Kerala VM Sudheeran led a protest outside the Kannur jail.
The State Commission for Scheduled Casts and Scheduled Tribes has registered a case. "We have ordered an enquiry into the complaint. We have received alleging atrocities against the two dalit women," Chairperson PN Vijayakumar told NDTV.
The ruling CPM has refuted these allegations. "There is nothing like this. The two women are playing politics by raking up their caste and it's a Congress strategy," said CPM district secretary of Kannur district, P Jayarajan.
Speaking to NDTV, a senior police officer said, "The police has been impartial. There was a complaint by the CPM office against the women and we were investigating the case. It was the women who came and surrendered before us and we registered the case according to the crime. Even in the case filed by the family against their rival party, three party men are in jail."