THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Police has announced a seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the assault on Youth Congress workers by the security officers of former CM Pinarayi Vijayan during their protest against the Nava Kerala Sadas in Alappuzha.
The team will be headed by Shoukathali, SP, Crime Branch Alappuzha, who had played a pivotal role in the investigation of T P Chandrasekharan murder. He had arrested former CPM Kozhikode district secretary P Mohanan for allegedly orchestrating the TP Murder. He also led the operation to nab Kodi Suni and two others, who were hiding in a party bastion after committing the murder.
Other members of the SIT are Crime Branch DySP Baiju Poulose, Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Sub-Inspector Tolson, Crime Branch SI Jayakrishnan, ASI Rajesh, Crime Branch SI Deenadayal Mallan and SI Amrutharaj, SI Alappuzha.
The investigation will be carried out by Baiju, who had also probed the sensational actress assault case. The order issued by State Police Chief Ravada Chandrasekhar said the investigation team shoud strive to complete the investigation within one month, while the head of the SIT shouldd submit the progress report of the probe in each fortnight.
The visuals of the attack on Youth Congress workers were widely condemned. The local police that conducted a preliminary inquiry had given clean chit to the accused security officers, which drew flak.
The Crime Branch that later took over the case too gave a clea chit to security officers Anil Kumar and S Sandeep claiming their act was to protect Pinarayi from protestors Ajay Jewel Kuriakose and A D Thomas. The Alappuzha Judicial First Class Magistrate Court did not buy the Crime Branch version after taking note of the video recordings depicting the brutal attack.
The Congress had maintained that they will take the officers responsible for perpetrating the attack to task. Thomas, who won the assembly election from Alappuzha, had demanded an exemplary action against the cops.