Kochi: Three arrested for stabbing two policemen who answered a fuel station alert

Three men were arrested on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, in connection with the stabbing of two police officers attached to the Njarackal police station in Ernakulam district, Kerala. The police identified the arrested as Prajith Sajeevan, 35, also known as Munna, a resident of Njarackal; his brother Prajeesh Sajeevan, 36; and Rakhin Muraleedharan, 33, a native of Kadamakudy.

According to the police, the attack took place around 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Sub-Inspector Jithin V. and Senior Civil Police Officer Ragesh had gone to a fuel station at Elangunnapuzha after receiving an alert about a scuffle on the premises. The officers were reportedly attacked as they reached the spot.

Mr. Jithin sustained injuries to his head and right hand, while Mr. Ragesh suffered injuries to his head and face, the police said. According to the police account, the two officers were injured while trying to stop the attackers from stabbing the sub-inspector in the abdomen. Details of their treatment and current medical condition were not immediately available.

All three arrested men have been booked in multiple cases in connection with the incident. The charges include attempt to murder. The police said the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, a State law aimed at curbing organised and habitual criminal activity, had been invoked against Mr. Prajith in an earlier case.

The Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 2007, is a preventive detention law that allows the authorities to detain a person identified as a known anti-social element for a limited period, subject to review by an advisory board. It is invoked separately from ordinary criminal proceedings and does not by itself determine guilt in any case.

Assaults on police personnel while they are on duty are dealt with under provisions relating to obstructing a public servant from discharging official duty and voluntarily causing hurt to a public servant, in addition to other penal offences. Investigators will also examine the sequence of events at the fuel station that preceded the officers' arrival, and whether others were involved in the alleged scuffle.

The arrests were made within a day of the incident, a fairly short interval in an investigation that will now move to the collection of evidence, recording of statements and, eventually, the filing of a charge sheet. The police have not announced the outcome of the officers' medical examination, nor have they commented on a possible motive.

It is important to note that all three arrested men are accused in the case and are entitled to the presumption of innocence until guilt is established through due process. Under Indian law, an arrest is not a finding of guilt, and the accused have the right to legal representation and to a fair trial.

Attacks on personnel responding to emergency calls raise wider questions about the safety of police teams deployed on night patrol and at public gatherings. Local police stations in Ernakulam district, as elsewhere in the State, respond to a high volume of such alerts, often with limited personnel on a single shift.

Further details are expected as the investigation progresses. This report will be updated as verified information becomes available.