Alappuzha court to hear anticipatory bail plea in Nava Kerala Sadas assault case today; SIT submits report

The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-I Alappuzha on Tuesday will hear the anticipatory bail plea of the security personnel attached to former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who were named as accused in the Nava Kerala Sadas assault case. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case submitted a report of its findings to the DGP on Monday.

The case is based on a complaint filed by Alappuzha MLA A D Thomas and Youth Congress state general secretary Ajay Juel Kuriakose, who were allegedly assaulted during the Nava Kerala Sadas programme by gunmen attached to the former chief minister’s security team.

Pinarayi Vijayan’s gunman Anil Kumar and security personnel S Sandeep had already been named as accused, while three more members of the former chief minister’s escort team were arraigned in the case on Saturday.

Kumar and Sandeep had approached the court seeking anticipatory bail, while the SIT filed a report opposing their plea. Additionally, the SIT also submitted its report on the investigation's findings to the DGP.

State Police Chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar told Onmanorama that he is in receipt of the SIT report. "The disciplinary action, if required, will be finalised after assessing the findings of the investigation team," he said.

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 allegedly later 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 current investigation is being carried out based on available visual evidence, and statements from the complainants are being recorded after consultations regarding the footage.

Thomas and Ajay have also urged 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 latest developments.

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.

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, which gave the security personnel a clean chit in October 2024. However, in November 2024, the Alappuzha Judicial First Class Magistrate Court rejected the police report and ordered a reinvestigation into the incident.