Thiruvananthapuram, 07 July (H.S.):A Sessions Court in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday rejected the bail applications of 15 accused in the case relating to the alleged attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials during a raid at the rented residence of former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan.
Sessions Judge Nazeera S delivered the order after examining the digital evidence submitted by the prosecution and reserving the verdict on the bail petitions earlier.
The case pertains to the violence that broke out on May 27 when ED officials, assisted by police personnel, conducted searches at Vijayan's residence as part of a money laundering investigation linked to the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) case involving his daughter, Veena T. During the operation, ED officials and police personnel were allegedly attacked by a large group of protesters.
According to the prosecution, the assault was a pre-planned attack rather than a spontaneous protest. During the bail hearing, the investigating officer informed the court that statements from key witnesses had been recorded and that most of the weapons allegedly used in the incident had already been recovered.
The court's decision comes amid changes in the prosecution team. The Kerala government recently replaced Special Public Prosecutor Geena Kumari with A. Santhosh Kumar after criticism over her handling of the bail proceedings involving Harish Kumar, the ninth accused in the case.
Harish Kumar was granted bail after the prosecution informed the court that his continued custodial interrogation was not necessary as the investigation had made substantial progress. In its order, the court noted that while the stick allegedly used by Harish Kumar had not yet been recovered, the prosecution had stated that further custody was not essential at that stage of the investigation.
Police have registered cases against nearly 300 identifiable persons, alleging that they formed an unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapons and obstructed public servants from discharging their official duties.
The investigation has involved extensive collection of scientific and forensic evidence, including glass fragments, soil samples, photographs, video recordings and other material objects recovered from the scene. Investigators have also issued notices to several media organisations seeking video footage of the incident, while statements from more than 40 witnesses have been recorded.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court recently disposed of a public interest litigation seeking a CBI probe into the attack after taking note of the State government's submission that the investigation had made satisfactory progress.
The case has been registered at the Museum Police Station under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. The investigation is continuing, with police expected to identify and proceed against additional accused based on the evidence collected.
