Thiruvananthapuram, 03 June (H.S.): A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the assault on Youth Congress and KSU activists during the Nava Kerala Sadas programme in Alappuzha has alleged that senior police officials attempted to shield the accused officers, including the then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s gunman, and suppress crucial evidence related to the case.

According to the SIT report, claims made by police personnel that stones were hurled at the specially designed Nava Kerala bus carrying the Chief Minister and ministers were found to be false. The report stated that visual evidence clearly showed that neither the bus nor the convoy came under attack.

The SIT further noted that there was collusion among senior police officials to derail the investigation and protect those involved in the assault. Statements recorded from the bus driver, Abhilash, reportedly confirmed that no attack took place on the vehicle. A mechanical engineer from the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) also informed investigators that the bus had not sustained any damage.

The report revealed that the former Chief Minister’s gunman and members of the security detail used long cane sticks, larger than standard police lathis, to attack the protesters. The activists were allegedly struck on the head and neck. A medical board concluded that a forceful blow with such a stick could potentially cause death, leading investigators to invoke Section 308 of the Indian Penal Code, relating to an attempt to commit culpable homicide.

The incident occurred on December 15, 2023, near the Alappuzha General Hospital Junction, where KSU district president A.D. Thomas and Youth Congress state secretary Ajay Jewel Kuriakose were allegedly beaten by the Chief Minister’s security personnel while staging a protest near the Nava Kerala bus.

The Nava Kerala Sadas outreach programme was conducted across Kerala during November and December 2023, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his cabinet travelling across the state in a specially designed bus. The SIT report has now raised serious questions about the conduct of the security personnel involved and the subsequent handling of the investigation by senior police officials.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman