Will be manhandled if arrested, Congress workers 'militant protesters': Accused cops' bail plea in Nava Kerala assault case

Former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's gunman Anil Kumar S and security personnel Sandeep S, the accused in the case related to the alleged assault of Congress workers during the Nava Kerala Sadas programme, have said in their anticipatory bail plea that allegations against them were a result of political agenda and with ulterior motives. 

In the plea filed in the Alappuzha Sessions court, they said they genuinely feared that in the event of their arrest, they would be manhandled, humiliated and insulted in an attempt to wreak vengeance. Pleading innocence, the accused said the attempt of the Special Investigation Team probing the case was to implicate them for the commission of non-bailable offences and spoil their blemishless career. 

The court will consider their plea on Tuesday.

According to Anil Kumar and Sandeep, an unruly mob protesting against the state-wide outreach initiative 'Nava Kerala Sadas' jumped towards the vehicle in which the Chief Minister and other ministers were travelling on December 15, 2023. They cited in the petition that the protesters came close to the Chief Minister by breaking through and evading the escort team and took law into their hands. 

"This caused intense fear, threat of injury and danger to the lives of the Chief Minister and his fellow ministers. The police officers engaged in the law and order duty, attempted to prevent the attack by the militant protesters, who were aggressive enough to commit any act of violence and atrocity," the accused claimed in their petition. 

Contradicting the visual evidence, they claimed there was no sufficient material to establish that they exceeded their duties.