THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Five policemen, including the gunman of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, were suspended on Tuesday in connection with the brutal assault on two Youth Congress workers during the Nava Kerala Yatra three years ago.
The suspended officers are gunman Anil Kumar, security personnel on escort duty Sandeep, Vipin, Shyju, and Arun. They were placed under suspension pending a departmental inquiry.
The action was based on the findings of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) recently constituted to probe the assault, which submitted its report to the State Police Chief on Monday. The incident occurred on December 15, 2023, when the bus carrying Pinarayi Vijayan and his Cabinet colleagues reached the traffic junction near the General Hospital in Alappuzha as part of the Nava Kerala Yatra.
The Youth Congress workers protesting in the area tried to move towards the bus. Suddenly, the CM’s gunman and other accused cops stormed out of the escort car and hit the workers brutally with lathis. When the then chief minister was asked about the police brutality, he mockingly replied, “It was an act of rescue.”
Youth Congress leader Ajay Jewel Kuriakose, who was brutally assaulted by the policemen, lodged a private complaint before the Alappuzha Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court, and a case was registered at the Alappuzha police station.
The DySP, District Crime Branch, filed a report stating that the policemen on escort duty were security personnel responsible for providing Z category security to the VIP and had only discharged their duties, which was protecting the chief minister. They further contended that such actions in the line of duty were protected under the relevant provisions of the Kerala Police Act.
The report further pointed out the lack of sufficient materials to prove that the cops had exceeded their duties.
Soon after the UDF government came to power, Chief Minister V D Satheeshan announced the setting up of the SIT. During the SIT investigation, it was found that the original case diary had been tampered with. The SIT also recorded the statements of Youth Congress workers, including A D Thomas MLA, and corroborated them with video evidence. Subsequently, three more policemen were added to the list of accused.