The Alappuzha Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Friday directed the Crime Branch (CB) to continue the investigation into the alleged assault on Youth Congress-Kerala Students Union (KSU) activists by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s gunman and security officials on the way to Nava Kerala Sadas in Alappuzha last December.
The CB in their report had given the officials a clean chit and requested the court to write off the case by considering it a mistake of fact. As per the report, security personnel Anil Kumar and S. Sandeep were merely discharging their duties by blocking the activists who rushed towards the vehicle of the Chief Minister, who comes under Z-plus category security cover.
Pen drive produced
It was reported that no other sufficient material was available to establish that the accused had exceeded their duties. It also said that no CCTV footage was available. However, the complainant and other witnesses had produced a pen drive with CCTV footage before the court. The court observed that there was sufficient material evidence which the police failed to collect. The court said that other evidence, including CCTV footage, was necessary to find whether the accused persons did the act in discharge of their official duties or not. Pointing out that further investigation was required, the court in its order directed the CB to return the chargesheet for further investigation.
The incident took place on December 15, 2023, when Mr. Anil Kumar, gunman, and Mr. Sandeep, security officer, allegedly attacked Youth Congress State secretary Ajay Juel Kuriakose and KSU district president A.D. Thomas who protested against Nava Kerala Sadas. The activists had rushed towards the Chief Minister’s vehicle, waving black flags, near General Hospital Junction and were stopped by security personnel accompanying the Chief Minister. Both police and CB reports said that the security officials in escort vehicles were doing what was required to prevent any untoward incident.
Published – November 08, 2024 09:00 pm IST