Kerala: Court orders re-investigation into assault by CM Vijayan's gunmen on Youth Congress workers
By Deepu Mohan | First Published Nov 8, 2024, 5:12 PM ISTAlappuzha's First Class Magistrate Court has ordered a re-investigation into the assault case of Youth Congress workers by the Chief Minister's gunmen, rejecting the Crime Branch's referral report that claimed no evidence of wrongdoing.
Alappuzha: The Alappuzha First Class Magistrate Court has ordered a re-investigation into the case involving the assault of Youth Congress workers by the Chief Minister’s gunmen. The court rejected the referral report submitted by the Crime Branch, which had requested the dismissal of the case. The Magistrate noted that there is sufficient evidence, and further investigation is necessary. The accused gunmen, Anil Kalliyur and Sandeep, are part of the Chief Minister’s security detail.
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The Crime Branch had previously filed a referral report in court, stating there was no evidence to support the claims of assault and had cleared the gunmen of any wrongdoing. The Youth Congress workers were allegedly attacked by the Chief Minister’s security personnel during the Nava Kerala Yatra in Alappuzha.
KPCC President K. Sudhakaran strongly criticized the Crime Branch’s decision to exonerate the gunmen, describing it as a challenge to the rule of law. He accused the police, who are supposed to protect citizens, of acting as executioners under the rule of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Sudhakaran pointed out that visuals showing the Chief Minister's gunmen and other security personnel violently assaulting KSU and Youth Congress workers during the incident are still circulating on social media.
Despite the Youth Congress workers submitting these visuals as evidence to the investigation team, the Crime Branch rejected them. Sudhakaran condemned this and accused the Crime Branch of protecting the Chief Minister's security personnel by dismissing the visuals as non-existent. He also accused a group of pro-left officials within the Kerala Police of tarnishing the reputation of the force to shield the gunmen. Sudhakaran linked this situation to other controversial cases under Pinarayi Vijayan’s administration, such as the gold smuggling case, the allegations by MLA P.V. Anvar, and the investigation against ADGP. He criticized the Home Department for offering legal protection to government allies, even through illegal means.
The two Youth Congress workers who filed the complaint, Jewel Kuriakose (State Secretary) and AD Thomas (KSU District President), suffered serious injuries in the police assault. Visuals of the Chief Minister’s gunmen stopping and beating the youth workers have been widely shared. Sudhakaran vowed that the Congress would hold the Crime Branch accountable for its heartless report, which claimed that no visuals were available. He also warned the Crime Branch officials who exonerated the gunmen that Pinarayi Vijayan would not be Chief Minister forever, and they would have to answer for their actions.
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