Kerala CM’s security staff skip interrogation in assault case, cite tight schedule

Kerala CM’s security staff did not comply with police notice to appear for questioning on Monday, citing a tight work schedule, officials said

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s gunman and one of his security personnel, who were booked for allegedly assaulting members of Congress student and youth wings, did not comply with police notice to appear for questioning on Monday, citing a tight work schedule.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s security staff were charged for the assault of Congress youth wing workers in December. (PTI)

Anil Kumar, the CM’s gunman, and Sandeep S, a member of his security staff, were charged in December last year for raining blows using lathis on members of Kerala Students Union (KSU) and Youth Congress who were protesting with black flags in Alappuzha against the Nava Kerala Sadas, an outreach campaign of the LDF government as part of which the CM and the cabinet travelled in a bus through the state. Television visuals had shown the two men jumping out of their official vehicles and severely beating the protesters, allegedly violating their service rules.

Arun, the CI of Alappuzha South police station where the case was registered, said, “They have informed via an email that they are unable to appear before the police on Monday due to their tight duty schedule. They have said that they will come to the station in the upcoming days”.

When asked about the security personnel’s use of excessive force, the CM defended it saying, “The gunman is also supposed to protect the vehicle I am travelling in. Some people tried to attack the bus we were travelling in and he interfered.”

The CM had also said that he hadn’t seen any visuals of the security personnel beating up protesters.