Assembly ruckus case: Crime Branch seeks further probe just ahead of trial

Thiruvananthapuram: In a dramatic development, the Crime Branch wing of the Kerala Police has sought a further investigation into the 2015 Assembly ruckus involving leaders of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), even as a court here was set to announce the date of commencement of the case trial.

The Crime Branch Deputy Superintendent of Police, who is leading the investigation, has submitted the application in this regard before the Thiruvananthapuram Chief Judicial Magistrate Court.

The Crime Branch put forward the demand when the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court took up the petition seeking joint trial of all the cases in connection with the assembly ruckus currently under consideration of various courts.

The agency also sought permission to file a supplementary chargesheet.

The case relates to the violent episodes that unfolded in the Kerala Legislative Assembly on March 13, 2015, when the then Opposition LDF legislators disrupted the then Finance Minister K M Mani from presenting the budget following allegations of his role in a bar bribery case.

Crime Branch's argument
The Crime Branch stated before the court that it had received 14 wound certificates from two ex-MLAs who claimed to have suffered injuries in the melee.

A detailed investigation needed to be conducted into this, the agency told the court, while seeking its permission to submit a supplementary chargesheet upon receiving adequate evidence.

Former legislators Jameela Prakasam and K K Lathika had earlier approached the court claiming that they suffered injuries during the mayhem and that a probe should be conducted into it.

The court then enquired whether the agency is withdrawing the current chargesheet read out in the court and why is it submitting a supplementary chargesheet at this stage.

While observing that the police are legally authorized to demand a further probe, the court wondered how it could allow the demand before the collection of new pieces of evidence.

The prosecutor then informed the court that a further probe into the case is necessary and that the probe agency will submit a supplementary chargesheet only upon getting fresh evidence. He also added that the agency is willing to withdraw the request seeking permission to submit a supplementary chargesheet.

The court was considering whether to jointly hear the arguments in the petitions filed by Jameela Prakasam and K K Lathika; and those by former MLAs K Ajith, K T Jaleel, and C K Sadasivan, who are accused in the assembly ruckus case, before various Magistrate courts.

Current Education Minister K Sivankutty, Left leaders E P Jayarajan, K T Jaleel, K Ajith, K Kunjahamed and C K Sadasivan are the accused in the case which charges them of unleashing attacks to prevent the then Finance Minister K M Mani from presenting the budget, and also causing a loss of Rs 2.20 lakh by damaging property.