Alappuzha: Three more members of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s escort team have been named as accused in the case related to the alleged assault on KSU and Youth Congress leaders who showed black flags during the Nava Kerala Sadas outreach programme. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) submitted a report in this regard before the Alappuzha First Class Magistrate Court.

The SIT on Saturday recorded the statements of complainants Alappuzha MLA A D Thomas and Youth Congress state general secretary Ajay Juel Kuriakose, who were allegedly assaulted during the Nava Kerala Sadas by gunmen attached to the former chief minister’s security team.

Thomas and Ajay, who informed the earlier probe team that five people had assaulted them, identified three more persons from visual evidence shown by the SIT, apart from Anil Kumar and Sandeep. They have also asked the SIT to invoke Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), dealing with attempt to murder, against the newly added accused. Department-level action is also likely to be initiated against the three police personnel in light of the new developments.

Pinarayi Vijayan’s gunman Anil Kumar and security personnel S Sandeep had already been named as accused. They have approached the Sessions Court seeking anticipatory bail, and the plea will be considered on May 26. The investigation team has filed a report opposing their bail plea.

The six-member SIT, led by Crime Branch SP Shoukath Ali with DySP Baiju Paulose as the investigating officer, was constituted soon after the United Democratic Front (UDF) government led by Chief Minister V D Satheesan assumed office. The team has already questioned former police and Crime Branch officials who had initially handled the case and later cleared it.

Preliminary findings by the SIT reportedly indicate a coordinated effort by higher authorities during the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) regime to derail the original investigation.

Initial inquiry files prepared by then-Alappuzha DSP Sunil Raj reportedly noted the existence of video evidence showing the assault. However, the report was later allegedly altered to state that “no video evidence was available” after the investigating officer was summoned twice to the office of the then ADGP (Law and Order) in Thiruvananthapuram.

The case dates back to December 15, 2023, during the LDF government’s Nava Kerala Sadas programme. At General Hospital Junction in Alappuzha, KSU activists and Youth Congress workers waved black flags in protest against the government.

While local police were restraining the protesters, security officer Anil Kumar and gunman Sandeep S allegedly jumped out of the chief minister’s escort vehicle carrying batons and assaulted the protesters. Pinarayi Vijayan had later defended the actions of his security personnel, calling it a “rescue operation” to protect his life.

A case was registered after Thomas and Kuriakose approached the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Alappuzha. The case was later handed over to the Crime Branch. In October 2024, the Crime Branch submitted a final report giving the security personnel a clean chit, claiming they were only carrying out their official duties. However, in November 2024, the Alappuzha Judicial First Class Magistrate Court ordered a reinvestigation into the incident after rejecting the police report.