Bengaluru (Aryavarth): The investigation of a 2015 incident at the Kerala Assembly involving notable Left Democratic Front (LDF) leaders will continue to unravel as a court in Kerala has granted law enforcement officials extended time for further inquiry.
This past Thursday, the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate authorized an additional 60 days for the police to progress their investigation, according to public prosecutor K Balachandra Menon. The decision comes as a part of a high-profile case which includes the State General Education Minister, V Sivankutty, among its prime suspects.
The basis for the extension, as explained by the prosecution, is that the initial investigation might not have sufficiently considered the complaints lodged by several then Left MLAs and the injuries reported by the Assembly’s watch-and-ward staff. Furthermore, the court was told that the testimonials of key figures in the incident, including the then Speaker and various LDF and United Democratic Front (UDF) MLAs, were not recorded.
The decision to prolong the investigation followed the submission of a charge sheet by the police and the framing of charges against Sivankutty, LDF convener E P Jayarajan, Left MLA K T Jaleel, and former MLAs K Ajith, C K Sadasivan and K Kunhammed in September of the previous year.
The accusations were met with flat denials from all the suspects. However, before the trial could begin, law enforcement officials requested a continuation of the probe. This move was interpreted by the opposing Congress party in the state as a strategic attempt to delay the trial.
V D Satheesan, the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, claimed that the Left government was intentionally dragging out the trial because of the potential guilty verdict for Sivankutty and the other accused. He lamented over the misuse of the prosecution by the police and the government, noting that the incident in the Assembly was viewed by countless Malayalis worldwide who could testify to the “crime”.
The six accused individuals are currently charged under Sections 447 (criminal trespass), 427 (mischief causing damage), read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sec 3(1) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act.
Meanwhile, a plea from the defendants to halt the trial was denied by the Kerala High Court last year. The accused had argued that the evidence against them was legally insufficient, a claim that the court rejected. The situation at the Assembly on March 13, 2015 had escalated dramatically when then opposition LDF members allegedly attempted to stop Finance Minister K M Mani from presenting the state budget, leading to property damage estimated at Rs 2.20 lakh. With input from Agencies