Over 100 members of the Campus Front of India who had gathered for a protest against the institutional murder of Fathima Latheef were taken into custody for a few hours by the police on Thursday evening. CFI national secretary was also among those who were detained by the police.
CFI had organised a road blockade in front of the IIT campus at 4 pm and claim to have sought police permission for the same. "We informed the police that like we did last time, this time too we would have a peaceful protest. Just say what we needed to say and then disperse," one of the members said. But the CFI claims that their members were getting arrested by the police even before they reached the venue of the protest.
"Some of us they arrested us while we were on our way. Even from the railway station just as they got down from the train," he explained. He also alleged that the police beat up several members as well.
"We were there to demand the arrest of Sudharshan Padmanabhan, who is the accused in Fathima's case but instead they are arresting us. We were only exercising our democratic right, they had no right to beat us up and treat us this way," a member said.
The members were let go by 9 pm.
