Around 30 people have been booked for attacking police personnel, while nearly 300 others face charges of obstructing the police, blocking roads, and attempting to riot.
Published Oct 23, 2025 | 12:30 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 23, 2025 | 12:30 PM
Tensions flared when a company vehicle attempted to pass through the protest site on Tuesday.
Synopsis: The Thamarassery Police have registered multiple cases and booked around 300 individuals, including a DYFI leader as the first accused, in connection with the violent protest at the Fresh Cut poultry waste management plant in Ambayathode, Kattippara, on 21 October.
Police have registered multiple cases in connection with the violence and arson at Ambayathode in Kozhikode over a controversial poultry waste treatment plant, even as political parties traded barbs at each other on Wednesday, 22 October.
A mob had resorted to stone pelting and arson on Tuesday, in which the Fresh Cut waste treatment plant suffered partial damage. Several vehicles were set ablaze, and many people, including women, children, and police personnel were injured in the incident.
The Thamarassery Police have registered multiple cases and booked around 300 individuals, including a DYFI leader as the first accused, in connection with the violent protest at the Fresh Cut poultry waste management plant in Ambayathode, Kattippara, on 21 October.
DYFI Thamarassery block president Meharuf has been named the first accused in one of the FIRs.
It’s learnt that a total of five FIRs have been registered so far, citing serious offences including attempt to murder, rioting, trespassing, arson, illegal assembly with weapons, and violations under the Explosive Substance Act and the Kerala Prevention of Damage to Private Property and Payment of Compensation Act.
According to the police, around 30 people have been booked for attacking police personnel, while nearly 300 others face charges of obstructing the police, blocking roads, and attempting to riot.
A massive search operation is underway to track down those involved, as many accused have gone into hiding fearing a police crackdown.
A separate FIR has been filed for setting the plant on fire using explosive materials, causing an estimated loss of ₹5 crore.
Another FIR pertains to the assault of a Thiruvambadi police officer whose mobile phone was seized while recording the protest. Additional FIRs have been registered for the assault on Thamarassery SHO A Sayooj and Sub-Inspector Vishnu during the unrest.
Kannur Range DIG Yathish Chandra described the incident as a “planned and brutal attack”.
He alleged that the violence was orchestrated using women and children as human shields and that “parties with vested interests” were behind the conspiracy.
“Things were peaceful from morning to evening. The planned attack happened at night. The factory was set on fire when employees were inside. Even the fire engines that came to douse the flames were obstructed. This was an inhumane act, and strict action will follow,” the DIG said.
He added that the police had initially acted with restraint and “humanitarian considerations”, but going forward, law will take its course.
At the same time, on Tuesday night, following the clash a massive police contingent led by Chandra swept into Karimpalakunnu late at night in more than 10 jeeps and a bus, launching extensive raids across the area.
Kodenchery Panchayat President Alex Thomas strongly criticised the late-night operation, alleging that officers were storming homes where only women and children were present.
“Creating an atmosphere of fear through such unnecessary raids will not solve the community’s problems,” he said, urging the police to exercise restraint.
He further warned that the heavy-handed action was “provoking peaceful, democratic protests” and called for an immediate end to such tactics, stressing that dialogue — not intimidation — is the way forward.
The violent agitation — which residents say was over the unbearable stench from the plant — spiralled out of control, resulting in arson, stone pelting, and a police lathi charge.
Investigations are being led by DSP Chandra Mohan.
The Kozhikode Rural Police have formed a special squad to arrest those involved in violence. As many as 321 persons have been identified, and DIG Chandra is supervising the investigation.
Investigators are checking CCTV visuals and television news footage to gather evidence.
The violent clashes left several police personnel and members of the public injured, including Kozhikode Rural Police Chief KE Baiju, who sustained serious facial injuries.
Baiju underwent plastic surgery on his upper lip at a private hospital in Kozhikode on Tuesday night and is said to be in a stable condition.
He suffered injuries to his nose and lips after being hit by stones during the mob attack.
Initially treated at Nadakkavu, he was shifted to another private hospital in Arayidathupalam around 8.30 pm for further care.
Several other officers were also injured in the violence.
Among them are Perambra DSP Sunil Kumar, Additional SP AP Chandran, and Sub-Inspectors Sooraj, Vinesh, and Rajeesha.
Thamarassery ASI Suraj, and Rural SP’s gunman Sugesh were also hospitalised after sustaining injuries in stone pelting.
ASI Suraj suffered a broken left ankle, while Sugesh was injured on his left hand.
Women police officers affected by teargas inhalation were admitted to Thamarassery Taluk Hospital.
Altogether, over 16 police personnel were taken to hospitals in Thamarassery and Koduvally.
Those undergoing treatment include C.K. Shuhaib (44), Prakashan (50), Sreejith (44), Regin (39), Subhash Chandra Bose (58), Mahesh (30), and Shamsira (40).
CK Shuhaib, a protester injured in the clash, alleged that he was attacked by the police despite protesting peacefully. He suffered injuries to his leg and left hand after a grenade exploded near him.
Shuhaib also said his 7-year-old daughter and son were suffocated by tear gas during the chaos.
A total dawn-to-dusk hartal was observed in several parts of Kozhikode district on Wednesday following violent clashes.
The hartal, called from 6 am to 6 pm, was organised by the Janakiya Samiti, demanding a detailed probe into the violence and a permanent solution to the waste issue.
The hartal was total in Velimanna, Chakkikkavu, and Koodathayi in Omassery Grama Panchayat; Vezhuppur, Kudukkilummaram, Karingamanna, Andona, Maikkavu, and Karimbalakkunnu in Kodenchery Grama Panchayat; and Poyilangadi, Orngattoor, and Manipuram in Koduvally Municipality.
The violence following the protest has drawn sharp criticism from political parties and civil society groups, with calls for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the clash.
The Janakiya Samiti had organised a peaceful demonstration against the pollution caused by the Fresh Cut plant, which operates under a High Court order.
However, the protest escalated into a confrontation, leaving several protesters injured, including women and children.
Koduvally MLA MK Muneer strongly criticised the police action against the protest. He said the brutality against local residents demanding the closure of the foul-smelling Fresh Cut slaughterhouse waste treatment plant, which threatens their peaceful life, is “absolutely condemnable.”
Several protesters were injured due to the use of teargas and other violent measures without any provocation. Muneer described the attack on peaceful protesters as unacceptable and called on authorities to be ready to shut down the waste plant immediately, citing its adverse impact on public health and the wellbeing of local residents.
The CPI(M) Thamarassery Area Committee urged a detailed inquiry into how a peaceful protest spiraled into violence. The party emphasised that attempts by the UDF and SDPI to politicise the incident against the government were unacceptable. The LDF did not participate in the hartal, which it called, ‘politically motivated’.
The Thamarassery Panchayat Muslim League Committee accused the police of actively suppressing the people’s struggle against the Fresh Cut plant.
It alleged a conspiracy between the company authorities and the police, claiming that the police facilitated the transport of waste to the protest site, provoking the confrontation. The committee called the police action “extremely unacceptable” and vowed to mobilize people to resist such moves in the future.
BJP Kozhikode Rural District President T Devadas criticised the police and administration, stating that their actions had aggravated the situation. He said the police escort of the waste-carrying vehicle to the protest site was “completely childish” and accused the authorities of siding with the company instead of the affected citizens.
The Youth Congress Thamarassery Mandalam Committee condemned the police crackdown and alleged that it was aimed at suppressing the leaders and citizens opposing the Fresh Cut plant. It demanded a high-level investigation into the police actions and reiterated that the company, which has allegedly violated environmental norms, should not be allowed to operate.
The violence on 21 October marked a significant escalation in the long-standing agitation against the Fresh Cut poultry waste treatment plant at Ambayathode.
Since commencing operations in 2019, the plant has faced sustained protests from local residents over the unbearable stench and alleged pollution of the Iruthullipuzha river.
Community organisations, including the Iruthullipuzha Samrakshana Samithi and Karimbalakunnu Samrakshana Samithi, have repeatedly mobilized residents, demanding adherence to the plant’s 25-tonne storage limit, prohibition of night-time waste transport, and the establishment of a monitoring system involving the protest committees.
Tensions intensified last month when residents staged a day-and-night road blockade, followed by a demonstration in Thamarassery protesting the arrest of local leaders.
On 20 October morning, police attempted to detain more individuals accused in existing cases, with CCTV footage capturing the raids.
While Thamarassery SHO Sayooj Kumar maintained that the police were acting on prior cases, protesters launched an indefinite strike from 21 October.
On Tuesday, the unrest erupted in the afternoon when protesters intercepted mini container vans carrying poultry waste to the plant.
Stone-pelting by enraged demonstrators injured several police personnel.
The SP and additional police forces arrived by 5 pm, resorting to lathicharge and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Protesters then trespassed into the plant, setting fire to ten mini container vans, three two-wheelers, and damaging parts of the plant’s interior.
Fire and rescue teams, held up by protesters for over an hour, could only reach the site by 7:30 pm to douse the flames.
Earlier, the anti-Fresh Cut Janakiya Samara Samiti had organised a peaceful road blockade from morning, with hundreds of residents, including women and children, participating.
Attempts at dialogue with police failed when the protest committee insisted on a temporary shutdown of the plant, ultimately triggering the violent confrontation.
While authorities stress law and order, residents insist their peaceful protests are a legitimate response to the ongoing stench and pollution from the Fresh Cut plant.
As political parties trade accusations and demand probes into both police and company actions, the incident, it’s said, also underscores the urgent need for dialogue, accountability, and transparent mechanisms to address grievances—failing which, such confrontations could escalate further, putting lives and property at risk.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
