Thiruvananthapuram: E P Jayarajan, top CPM leader and convener of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), is likely to go scot-free over a sensational scuffle with Youth Congress protestors onboard an aircraft last year. The Kerala Police has decided to close the case against him even as the proceedings against the latter over over a related case will continue.
The police have submitted a report before the magistrate court which says that the complaint filed by some Youth Congress leaders against Jayarajan was false.
The incident took place in June 2022 aboard an Indigo aircraft from Kannur to Thiruvananthapuram in which Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was among the passengers.
When the aircraft landed in Thiruvananthapuram, Youth Congress leaders Farzeen Majeed, Naveen Kumar and Sunith, who were also travelling on the flight, shouted slogans against the Chief Minister and walked towards him. However, Jayarajan, who was accompanying the Chief Minister, blocked the path of the Youth Congress leaders. He also pushed one Youth Congress leader to the floor of the aircraft. A video of this scuffle was soon circulated over social media.
The Youth Congress leaders were later arrested. A case was filed against them over a complaint filed by the personal staff of the Chief Minister.
Farzeen and Naveen had approached the police demanding that a case should be registered against Jayarajan for manhandling them. However, when the police failed to respond, the Youth Congress leaders moved the court and the Valiyathura police station, near the Thiruvananthapuram airport, booked Jayarajan.
However, in its latest decision, the Valiyathura police have now sought closure of the case. Officers from the station also travelled to Kannur to inform the Youth Congress leaders that they could approach the court if they have any objections to the move.
Apart from Jayarajan, the other accused in the case are Anil Kumar and V M Suneesh, who are members of the Chief Minister’s personal staff.
Indigo Airlines had announced a travel ban of two weeks on the Youth Congress leaders and three weeks on Jayarajan after the incident. In its internal report, the airline said the action of Jayarajan was more grave. In protest against this report of Indigo, Jayarajan announced that he would never travel on the airline again.
Jayarajan's response
Jayarajan said that the police were acting fairly in the case. “There was no lapse on my part during the incident in the aircraft. Truth and justice have prevailed. Nothing else would have been revealed even if the case was investigated by the state Congress chief,” he said.
Farzeen to oppose
Meanwhile, reacting to the move of the police to close the case against Jayarajan, Farzeen said that he would continue the legal battle. “I do not expect justice from the police. But, why haven’t the police filed a charge-sheet in the case registered against us for allegedly attempting an assassination of the Chief Minister, even one year after the incident?” he wondered.
