The Karukachal police in Kerala has booked Independent MLA PV Anvar for illegally tapping phone calls of senior police officers with the intent to provoke the public and incite a riot, officers aware of the matter said on Sunday.
The FIR was registered following a complaint by a Kottayam-based social activist, Thomas K Peeliyanickal, on Saturday, days after Anvar dissociated himself from the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) citing lack of strong action on the complaints that he submitted against the additional director general of police (ADGP)( law and order) MR Ajith Kumar and the political secretary to the chief minister, P Sasi.
An officer at the Karukachal police station said that a case was lodged against the Nilambur MLA under section 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for “provoking others with the intent to incite a riot”.
According to the FIR, the legislator illegally hacked into the telecommunication system and recorded phone conversations of senior police officers before making them public on several platforms, including social media. The act disturbed public safety and was intended to provoke the public, it said.
The FIR is related to the release of a phone conversation that Anvar had with suspended IPS officer Sujith Das during which the latter admitted to his involvement in illegal tree felling and sought his help to clear his name. After the recording of the conversation was released by the MLA last month, the IPS officer was suspended by the home department for violating service rules.
{{/usCountry}}The FIR is related to the release of a phone conversation that Anvar had with suspended IPS officer Sujith Das during which the latter admitted to his involvement in illegal tree felling and sought his help to clear his name. After the recording of the conversation was released by the MLA last month, the IPS officer was suspended by the home department for violating service rules.
{{/usCountry}}When asked by reporters about the FIR against him, Anvar replied, “I knew that they would file cases against me. Let them put me in jail, we will see.”
Anvar, who won from Nilambur in 2016 and 2021 assembly elections backed by the CPM, last week disassociated himself from the LDF after launching attacks on the party leadership and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Anvar claimed that Vijayan “failed” as the state’s home minister for being unable to control the police force and check the “wrongdoings” of his political secretary.
Subsequently, the CPI(M) severed its links with the businessman-turned-politician, claiming that he had an agenda to tarnish the party and the government by joining hands with the right-wing political forces and sections of the media.