The Crime Branch, probing the pandemonium and destruction of public property on Budget presentation day during the previous Oommen Chandy government on March 13, 2015 has filed a further investigation report in the court.
The report purportedly mentions that the agency has sought the permission of the State Police Chief to investigate two former United Democratic Front legislators on a rather belated complaint that they had assaulted women Left Democratic Front legislators, then in the Opposition, during the ruckus.
The case has provenance in the LDF’s political decision to prevent the then Finance Minister K. M. Mani from presenting the Budget.
The LDF grievance was that Mani was criminally culpable in the bar bribery case that rocked the Oommen Chandy government that year.
The police case was that the legislators had destroyed microphones and computers, grappled with the watch and ward and toppled the Speaker’s chair to deter Mani.
They named E.P. Jayarajan, V. Sivankutty, C.K. Sadasivan, K. Kunhammad, all Communist Party of India (Marxist) members, K. Ajith of the Communist Party of India, and K.T. Jaleel, an LDF independent, as suspects in the case.
When the LDF came to power, the government sought the leave of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Thiruvananthapuram, to withdraw the case.
Also, former LDF legislators E. Bijimol, K.K. Lathika and Jameela Prakasham accused then Congress MLAs M.A. Waheed and K. Sivadasan Nair of unlawfully detaining and shoving them on the floor of the House that day.
The CJM and later the Supreme Court rejected the government’s move to withdraw the case. The apex court court upheld the CJM’s finding that “public interest” and “unity of the Legislature” were insufficient grounds to arbitrarily set aside a case involving the destruction of public property and unruly behaviour.
The CJM also ordered a further inquiry covering all aspects of the politically sensitive case. The agency recorded the statements of 12 witnesses, including former LDF legislators.
The police had booked the LDF leaders under the Prevention of Destruction of Public Property Act and Sections 447 (criminal trespass) and 427 (mischief causing damage) of the Indian Penal Code.
