Thiruvananthapuram: The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court here on Thursday allowed the Crime Branch to continue the investigation into the 2015 Assembly ruckus case involving leaders of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) but with conditions.

Thiruvananthapuram Chief Judicial Magistrate Shibu Daniel, while issuing the verdict, ordered that the probe should be completed within 60 days and that the officials should inform the court of the case's status every three weeks.

It was on Tuesday, the Crime Branch had submitted the plea seeking further probe when the CJM court considered the case to determine the trial date.

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The case is related to violent episodes that unfolded in the Kerala Legislative Assembly on March 13, 2015, when the then Opposition LDF legislators disrupted then Finance Minister K M Mani from presenting the budget following allegations of the latter’s role in a bar bribery case. 

The Crime Branch intends to add certain UDF (United Democratic Front) leaders too in the list of accused through the additional probe after its efforts to dismiss the case turned futile even after moving the Supreme Court, sources said.

Earlier, the CJM court observed that the case was eight years old, and hence the nod for the probe is being extended with conditions. The court will consider the plea of the accused seeking a joint trial of all the cases related to the assembly ruckus only after the completion of the entire investigation, the court made it clear.

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However, the court allowed the State Government’s plea to stop trial proceedings till the submission of the additional investigation report. 

The Crime Branch also sought permission to file a supplementary chargesheet.

Earlier, ex-MLAs Jameela Prakasam and K K Lathika had approached the court, claiming that they suffered injuries during the mayhem and that a probe should be conducted into it. The Crime Branch stated that it received 14 wound certificates with the complainants claiming to have suffered injuries. A detailed investigation should be initiated into this, the agency told the court.

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Following this, the court granted the conditional nod for further probe. However, whether to submit a supplementary chargesheet will be clear only when the court order is out. 

Current Education Minister Sivankutty, Left leaders E P Jayarajan, K T Jaleel, K Ajith, K Kunjahamed and C K Sadasivan are named as accused in the case for unleashing violence in the assembly to prevent then Finance Minister K M Mani from presenting the budget and causing property damages to the tune of Rs 2.20 lakh.

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