Thiruvananthapuram, 2 Dec (H.S.): The Thiruvananthapuram Cantonment Police have removed Mayor Arya Rajendran and her husband, CPI(M) MLA Sachin Dev, from the chargesheet in the case relating to an altercation with a KSRTC bus driver near the Saphalyam Complex at Palayam earlier this year. The decision follows a detailed investigation which concluded that there was no evidence to support the allegations made against the couple.
The incident occurred around 10 p.m. on April 27, 2024, when a car carrying the Mayor, the MLA and others allegedly blocked a KSRTC bus, resulting in a heated exchange between driver H. L. Yadhu and the occupants of the vehicle. Yadhu had accused the Mayor and MLA of obstructing his duty, using abusive language and forcibly opening the bus door.
However, police officers who examined the claims said the investigation did not substantiate these allegations. Cantonment Circle Inspector Prajeesh Sasi said that neither CCTV footage nor witness statements supported the driver’s version of events. He also clarified that the door mechanism of the KSRTC bus made the allegation of forced entry improbable. “The bus door is hydraulically controlled and can be opened only by the driver. There is no evidence to show that anyone else opened it,” he said.
The officer further stated that the probe found no indication that the couple used obscene or abusive language. According to the police, the Mayor and MLA had phoned the Cantonment Police within minutes of the altercation, and officers reached the spot promptly to defuse the situation.
Police also noted that the KSRTC bus was not following its designated route at the time of the incident. Instead of taking the Thampanoor–Bakery Junction route assigned to it, the bus was travelling via PMG, Niyamasabha, Palayam and VJT Hall, the officer said.
Based on the findings, the police have filed the chargesheet naming only Mayor Arya Rajendran’s brother, Aravind, who was driving the car, as an accused. He has been charged with allegedly blocking the KSRTC bus and obstructing the driver from performing his duty.
Meanwhile, the case is now before the Thiruvananthapuram Judicial First Class Magistrate Court. KSRTC driver Yadhu has submitted a fresh petition seeking to reinstate the Mayor’s name in the list of accused, contesting the police’s decision to drop her from the chargesheet. The court will consider the matter in the coming days.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
