MALAPPURAM: In a dramatic turn of events, newly elected MLA Aryadan Shoukath was stranded for over three hours on Thursday in the forested area of Vaniyampuzha after the engine of a dinghy boat carrying him and a group of officials broke down in the swollen Chaliyar river.
Shoukath, who won the recent Nilambur bypoll representing the Congress-led UDF, had joined a team escorting the body of Billi, a tribal man who died in a wild elephant attack in the Munderi forest. The post-mortem was conducted earlier in the day at Manjeri Medical College.
The body was ferried across the river to Vaniyampuzha around 2 pm using a dinghy with the help of fire force and NDRF personnel. However, as the group began their return journey, the boat’s engine malfunctioned amid heavy rain and rising river levels, leaving Shoukath and others stuck deep inside the forest.
Responding swiftly, security personnel crossed the turbulent river and managed to repair the engine. They returned with the boat and brought the stranded group back to safety, police said.
Shoukath is scheduled to be sworn in as an MLA in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, marking the official start of his legislative tenure after a tense and unexpected prelude.