Published Jun 03, 2026 | 5:39 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 03, 2026 | 5:39 PM
Gunman of Vijayan beating protestors in Alappuzha. Photo: Supplied
Synopsis: The SIT’s findings also gave credence to the UDF’s argument that police personnel in Vijayan’s security detail had attacked Youth Congress and KSU workers without provocation. The UDF, now in power, has been maintaining that the workers were attacked for waving black flags at Vijayan’s convoy.
A re-investigation into the alleged attack on the Nava Kerala Sadas bus has found the allegation to be false, and raised questions over former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s justification of police highhandedness.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Alappuzha Crime Branch Superintendent of Police AP Shoukathali has reportedly found that the bus was not attacked. The finding contradicted the outcomes of the earlier Crime Branch and police probe.
The SIT’s findings also gave credence to the UDF’s argument that police personnel in Vijayan’s security detail had attacked Youth Congress and KSU workers without provocation. The UDF, now in power, has been maintaining that the workers were attacked for waving black flags at Vijayan’s convoy.
The details of the findings were revealed in the statement of fact submitted to the District and Sessions Court in Alappuzha, which has been hearing the bail applications of the five accused police personnel, including Vijayan’s gunman.
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The SIT also submitted that forensic reports and the statement of the bus driver, Abhilash, stated that the bus was not attacked.
The incident dates back to November 2023 during Nava Kerala Yatra, a public outreach programme, taken out by Vijayan and his Cabinet colleagues. The entire Cabinet had travelled on a specially designed KSRTC bus across the state, meeting the members of the public at designated venues.
Opposition party activists waved black flags at the bus at several places, which provoked the supporters of the ruling CPI(M). In Alappuzha, Vijayan’s gunman and other security personnel physically assaulted the protesters. Vijayan later justified the security personnel’s act as “rescue operation” that prevented the protesters from going under the bus.
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The SIT’s conclusions was in direct contrast to key claims made during the original investigation.
According to the SIT, there was no evidence supporting claims that Youth Congress workers had pelted stones at the bus.
The SIT also noted that neither official records nor the mechanical inspection report recorded any damage to the vehicle.
The SIT further concluded that there was no operational necessity for the chief minister’s security personnel to intervene against the protesters and that the assault constituted a criminal act warranting serious charges.
The report also raised questions about the conduct of the earlier investigation.
It alleged that senior police officers colluded to weaken the case and destroy crucial evidence. The SIT specifically accused former Law and Order ADGP MR Ajith Kumar of interfering in the probe and pressuring officers to alter the case diary and final report.
The SIT said the original investigation had referred to video evidence showing police excesses against Youth Congress and KSU activists. Those references were allegedly removed after intervention from senior officers. Statements from officers involved in the probe were included in the interim report submitted to the State Police Chief.
The latest findings differed significantly from the earlier Crime Branch conclusion that the officers had acted lawfully while providing security to a chief minister under Z-plus protection.
The SIT instead found the attack on the protesters to be unlawful and unprovoked, leading to the addition of attempt-to-murder charges against five officers.
The case has therefore evolved into a direct conflict between the conclusions reached by the earlier investigation and those now presented by the SIT constituted by the new UDF government.
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One of the first major administrative decisions of the new UDF government was to order a reinvestigation into the incident.
The first Cabinet meeting decided to constitute a SIT to re-examine the allegations that members of former chief minister Vijayan’s security detail had assaulted Youth Congress and KSU activists during a protest at Alappuzha.
The decision came after earlier investigations had effectively favoured the accused officers. In 2024, the Crime Branch filed a final report giving a clean chit to the security personnel, concluding that they were merely discharging their professional duties by preventing protesters from approaching the then chief minister’s vehicle.
The Crime Branch requested that the case be treated as a “mistake of fact” and closed.
However, the Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court rejected the closure report and ordered further investigation.
Though a subsequent probe was initiated, little progress was reportedly made. The new government then constituted the SIT to reinvestigate the entire episode.
The government has suspended the five accused police personnel, invoked the non-bailable charge of attempt to murder, and submitted reports alleging serious irregularities in the previous investigation.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
