Case Against Pinarayi Vijayan's Security Personnel For Beating Congress Protestors

The Kerala Police on Saturday registered a case against two security personnel of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for allegedly assaulting Youth Congress workers recently while they were protesting against the Left government's Nava Kerala Sadas yatra, officials said.

They said the case was lodged following a court order earlier in the day. Youth Congress workers A D Thomas and Ajay Jewel Kuriakose had approached the local court with a private complaint against the members of the chief minister's security detail.

As per the directions of the court, the Alappuzha South Police registered a case under IPC sections 294 B (using obscene words), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 325 (voluntarily causes grievous hurt) against the chief minister's gunman, Anil, and another policeman, the officials said.

A video of the chief minister's security personnel recently surfaced online in which they were purportedly seen stepping out of their vehicle and assaulting the protestors.

The opposition Congress has been alleging that the security personnel and party workers, accompanying the cabinet's cavalcade, had beaten up protesters.

Asked about the incident, Mr Vijayan had justified the incident and said that the gunman was for his protection.

"The gunman is also supposed to protect the vehicle I am travelling. Some people tried to attack the bus we (he and his cabinet colleagues) were travelling in and he interfered," Mr Vijayan had said.

Mr Vijayan had also claimed that he did not see his gunman assault anyone, adding that he might have reacted to protect the vehicle.

Congress workers were protesting against the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues, who were on a state-wide Nava Kerala Sadas yatra - an outreach programme by the Left government.

The opposition party has been alleging that the government was using the state machinery for the Left party's political campaign.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)