Thiruvananthapuram, May 19 (IANS) In what is being widely viewed as the new United Democratic Front regime’s first major political offensive, the V.D. Satheesan government has ordered a high-profile reinvestigation into the controversial assault on Youth Congress and KSU workers by the gunmen of then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during the Nava Kerala Yatra in Alappuzha in December 2023.

The Kerala Police has officially constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident that had triggered outrage across the state and came to symbolise what the Opposition had then described as the politicisation of the police machinery under the previous Left government.

The investigation will be headed by Alappuzha SP, Crime Branch, Shoukath Ali, an officer known for his tough handling of politically sensitive cases, while Baiju Paulose will serve as the investigating officer.

The six-member team has been directed to submit a progress report within two weeks and the final investigation report within a month, indicating the urgency and political importance attached to the case by the new regime.

The incident dates back to December 2023, when Youth Congress and KSU activists attempted to show black flags to Vijayan’s convoy during the Nava Kerala outreach programme in Alappuzha.

Dramatic visuals aired by television channels had shown the then Chief Minister’s gunmen, identified as Anil Kumar and Sandeep S, stepping out of the escort vehicle and allegedly assaulting protesters in full public view.

What turned the incident into a major political controversy was Vijayan’s public defence of the action.

The then Chief Minister had famously described the assault as “raksha pravarthanam (rescue operation)” carried out by his security personnel to protect him.

The phrase “raksha pravarthanam” soon became a political flashpoint, with Congress leaders accusing the government of legitimising violence by police personnel and shielding those responsible.

The controversy deepened after allegations emerged that police had initially failed to take meaningful action despite clear visual evidence of the assault.

Eventually, after the injured Youth Congress leaders approached the court, a case was registered against the gunmen following judicial intervention.

Now, with the Satheesan government reopening the file almost immediately after assuming office, political observers see the move as carrying a deeper message, that the new administration intends to revisit several politically sensitive episodes from the previous regime and hold officials accountable where alleged abuse of power took place.

Shoukath Ali investigated the political murder of T.P.Chandrasekheran in 2012 and ensured the arrests of more than a dozen CPI-M activists.

Following the change of government and Pinarayi Vijayan taking over, Shoukath Ali moved to NIA, and after his tenure, he was sidelined.

The decision is also being interpreted within political circles as a warning to sections of the police establishment accused of functioning with political patronage during the Left government.

With Shoukath Ali at the helm of the probe, the reinvestigation is expected to become one of the most closely watched political cases in Kerala in the coming weeks.

–IANS

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