more-in Members of Popular Front of India (PFI) on Tuesday called on City Police Commissioner A. Amalraj demanding release of a resident from Ukkadam who was allegedly taken into custody by CB-CID sleuths at gun-point from Kottaimedu on Monday night. Workers of PFI had come with the parents of Syed Abuthahir (29), a resident of K.K. Nagar near Ukkadam. According to them, Abuthahir was taken into custody by CB-CID DSP Balamurugan when he was standing outside a restaurant at Kottaimedu after dinner around 11.30 p.m. The group came to the Commissioner’s office around 8 a.m. and assembled outside the building. Though senior police officers held talks with PFI leaders and parents of Abuthahir, they stood by the demand that the missing person must be released. Officers, including DCP (law and order) S. Lakshmi, who spoke to the group, claimed that they did not have any idea about Abuthahir's police custody. Representatives of the group held discussions with Mr. Amalraj, who requested that the crowd be dispersed. In the afternoon, members of various Muslim organisations also called on the Commissioner seeking release of Abuthahir. Roadside vendor Sources in the department said that Abuthahir, a roadside vendor at Ukkadam, was interrogated several times in connection with the murder of Hindu Munnani leader C. Sasikumar in September last year. He was interrogated for suspected links with two persons who are absconding in the case, which is being investigated by CB-CID special team. “I have accompanied my son for interrogation by police at least 20 times. Taking him to custody using gun as in the case of a criminal is disheartening. We could not find him at police stations and CB-CID office we visited Monday night. We want to know where he is,” said Abuthahir’s father E.M. Jafar Ali. According to him, the same CB-CID officer had come to Ukkadam around 4.30 p.m. on Monday and demanded that his son accompany them. Abuthahir reportedly refused to cooperate stating that he had already undergone interrogation in the case several times due to which his business is affected.

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