Published Sep 28, 2026 | 3:54 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 28, 2026 | 3:54 PM
Former minister and CPI(M) leader V. Sivankutty is among those facing trial in the case.
Trial proceedings in the 2015 Kerala Assembly ruckus case are set to commence in November, more than 11 years after the controversial incident that triggered a prolonged political and legal battle.
The trial will be held before the Thiruvananthapuram Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court, with examination of witnesses scheduled to begin on November 3.
The case reached the trial stage only after the accused pursued the matter through various courts, including the Supreme Court.
The incident occurred on March 13, 2015, when the then Finance Minister K.M. Mani was attempting to present the State Budget for 2015-16.
Legislators of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) stormed the well of the House demanding Mani’s resignation over the bar bribery allegations.
The confrontation descended into chaos, with allegations of physical obstruction and damage to property inside the Assembly. The case was filed based on the complaint filed by then legislature secretary P.D. Sarangadharan.
The episode subsequently became one of the most contentious incidents in the history of the Kerala Legislature.
The two witnesses set to be examined by the court include the then Assembly Secretary Sarangadharan and an engineer who had copied the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) footage of the proceedings recorded inside the House.
The footage is expected to form an important part of the prosecution evidence.
Former minister and CPI(M) leader V. Sivankutty is among those facing trial in the case.
Former CPI leader K. Ajith, the first accused in the case and an LDF legislator at the time of the incident, is now associated with the BJP.
Advocate K. Santhosh Kumar has been appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor.
With several of the accused remaining active in politics, the proceedings and the eventual court verdict are likely to draw considerable political attention.
(Edited by Fayisa CA)
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