SP Shoukathali to head 6-member SIT formed to probe Nava Kerala Sadas assault

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Police on Tuesday constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to reinvestigate the assault on Congress workers by gunmen of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during the 2023 Nava Kerala Sadas outreach programme.

The SIT would be headed by Alappuzha Crime Branch Superintendent of Police Shoukathali. The investigation will be directly handled by Baiju Poulose, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, Ernakulam (ATS), under the supervision of the SP, according to an official order. 

Other members of the SIT include Inspector Tolson of Medical College Police Station, Thiruvananthapuram, Sub-Inspector Jayakrishnan of Crime Branch Alappuzha, ASI Rajesh of Alappuzha South Police Station, SI Deenadayal Mallan of Crime Branch Alappuzha, and SI Amrutharaj SR of District Headquarters, Alappuzha.

On Monday, following the first cabinet meeting, Chief Minister V D Satheesan had announced that the case would be reinvestigated. 

Notably, the move comes more than a year after the Alappuzha Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, in November 2024, ordered a reinvestigation into the incident after rejecting a report filed by the police.

The alleged incident took place on December 15, 2023, near the General Hospital junction in Alappuzha when Youth Congress activists, including the now Congress MLA-elect A D Thomas, staged a protest while Vijayan and ministers were travelling in a bus as part of the Nava Kerala Sadas programme.

The protesters had alleged that they were assaulted by the Chief Minister’s gunmen and police personnel accompanying the convoy. However, the police later filed a refer report claiming that the allegations were baseless and that no such assault had taken place.

According to the police report, CCTV footage collected from shops near the General Hospital junction did not reveal any evidence supporting the allegations. The report also stated that police personnel in the escort vehicles had intervened only to prevent any untoward incident and had acted within the scope of their official duties. However, CM Satheesan expressed doubts over the claims raised by the police. 

The SIT has been directed to complete the investigation expeditiously and submit its final report within one month from the date of commencement of the probe. 

Additionally, the head of the SIT has been instructed to submit fortnightly progress reports to the higher authorities.