KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has granted bail to nine CPM workers accused of attacking Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials during a raid at the residence of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in connection with the CMRL Exalogic case.
While granting bail, the court noted that the investigation in the case was almost complete and that the applicants had already been remanded to police custody.
The court also observed that the applicants had no criminal antecedents warranting their continued detention and that they had been in custody for more than 67 days.
The court granted bail to Kiran PS, Jeevan, Anil Kumar, Sreejith, Nishad, Sidharth S and Shefeek.
According to the prosecution, a mob of around 300 people intercepted and allegedly assaulted ED officials, along with the accompanying CRPF and police personnel, and damaged three official taxi vehicles using stones, bricks and iron rods, causing damage estimated at Rs 3 lakh.
During the arguments, Justice Kauser Edappagath orally observed that even after 67 days, the police had not recovered the weapon used in the attack. “Then when will they?” the court asked.
Opposing the bail pleas, the ED submitted that the attack on its officials by CPM workers was an organised assault on the central investigating agency.
The agency said the objective of the unlawful assembly was not merely to protest against the search proceedings, but to obstruct a lawful investigation, deter public servants from discharging their statutory functions and intimidate investigating officers.
The attack on government officials while they were discharging their duties was pre-planned, with the intention of causing death by using dangerous weapons, the ED said.