Kerala: Row over disconnecting power supply to elderly couple's house

Protesting against the incident, the elderly couple staged a protest at the KSEB office on Saturday night. As the man, Razak, became sick, he was hospitalised by late in the night.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala on Sunday witnessed a row over the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) disconnecting power supply to the house of an elderly couple in Kozhikode as a vindictive measure.

Power supply to the house of Razak and Mariyam at Thiruvambady in the suburbs of Kozhikode was disconnected by the KSEB officials on Saturday.

The couple's son Ajamal had allegedly manhandled KSEB officials and caused damage to the KSEB local office on Friday for earlier disconnecting power supply to the house for unpaid dues. Though the supply was restored on Friday, KSEB top officials ordered disconnection of the supply on Saturday in view of the attack on officials and its office.

Protesting against the incident, the elderly couple staged a protest at the KSEB office on Saturday night. As Razak became sick, he was hospitalised by late in the night.

The issue snowballed into a major row with many alleging that the CPM government in Kerala was following the lines of 'bulldozer politics of BJP'. Kerala State Human Rights Commission also registered a case suo motu.

Later, power minister K Krishnankutty directed the officials to restore the connection.

However, the officials were insisting on a written statement by the couple tendering an apology for the attack on the KSEB office by their son. The couple did not agree to it and hence deliberations were going on till late in the evening.