Police book around 500 over vandalism at NH-66 toll plaza in Kerala

Police in Kerala have registered a case against around 500 unidentified people for allegedly vandalising a toll plaza at Arikady on the NH-66 stretch, following protests against the start of toll collection, officials said on Thursday.

The case was filed at Kumbla police station after members of an action council opposing the toll organised a protest march on Wednesday evening. Police said the demonstration, held around 7 pm, disrupted operations at the toll plaza and led to heavy traffic congestion on the national highway.

According to the first information report, around 500 people participated in the protest. Their identities are yet to be established.

Toll collection at the temporary plaza began on January 12, triggering opposition from local residents and political leaders. On the same day, a large protest led by Manjeshwar MLA A K M Ashraf was held at the site.

Police said Ashraf and several protesters were arrested and removed to restore order, though protest activities by the action council have continued.

The action council has argued that the toll plaza violates National Highways Authority of India guidelines, claiming it is located just 22 km from the next toll point at Thalapady, whereas norms require a minimum distance of 60 km between two toll booths.

Toll plaza operators, however, maintain that the booth at Arikady is temporary. They said the toll was originally planned at Chalingal, but as construction work on that stretch of the highway remains incomplete, a provisional plaza was set up at the current location.

Legal challenges to the temporary toll plaza were dismissed by the Kerala High Court last year. The action council has since filed an appeal against the court’s ruling, officials said.

With PTI inputs