Kochi: The Ernakulam Rural police have constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the complaint lodged by CPM leader KJ Shine, who alleged that she was the target of a coordinated cyber-attack.

The 12-member team will be led by Munambam DySP S Jayakrishnan, with the station house officer of the Rural Cyber Police Station serving as the investigation officer. “The SIT will assist the cyber police, and the probe will remain under the direct supervision of the Munambam DySP,” police sources confirmed.

Meanwhile, Vypin MLA KN Unnikrishnan appeared before the DySP to record his statement. He also submitted a separate complaint regarding defamatory content circulated against him in connection with the issue. “I have already approached the Chief Minister, the DGP, the Ernakulam Rural SP, and the Munambam DySP. All relevant evidence has been handed over, and I expect the police team to act fast,” Unnikrishnan said.

Earlier on Friday, Ernakulam Rural Cyber Police registered a case based on a complaint filed by Shine, who was CPM’s Ernakulam Lok Sabha candidate in the 2024 elections. She alleged that certain social media handles and media outlets circulated defamatory content about her.

Based on her complaint, a case has been registered against CK Gopalakrishnan, a local Congress leader in North Paravoor, and KM Shahjahan, owner of the YouTube channel Prathipaksham. They were booked under Sections 78 (stalking) and 79 (acts, gestures, words, or objects intended to insult a woman’s modesty or intrude upon her privacy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 67 of the IT Act (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) and Section 120(o) (causing, through any means of communication, a nuisance to any person) of the Kerala Police Act.