T’puram: State police chief DGP Ravada A Chandrasekhar returned the special investigation team’s (SIT) report on the assault on Youth Congress workers by former CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s gunmen and escort team, seeking more clarity on its findings and ordering further investigation into specific aspects of the case. The gunmen and escort team had assaulted protesting Youth Congress activists in Alappuzha during the then CM’s Nava Kerala Yatra in Dec 2023.Sources said the state police chief examined the report and found that some portions needed further elaboration before a decision could be taken. He sent the report back to SIT with specific queries, highlighting areas that required additional clarification. He also directed SIT to conduct further investigation into the identified aspects and submit a revised report at the earliest. Sources said the decision followed a detailed scrutiny of the investigation report.SIT is probing allegations that the investigation into the assault case was deliberately derailed. The team submitted the report after examining the role of senior police officers who handled the case.Earlier, Chandrasekhar had sought legal opinion on SIT’s findings on ADGP M R Ajith Kumar, and reports indicated that SIT had concluded that Kumar had interfered with or undermined the investigation in the assault case. The DGP had sought legal opinion to determine the course of action based on the findings of the SIT enquiry.The case pertains to the assault on Youth Congress workers by the former chief minister’s security personnel during the Nava Kerala Yatra in Alappuzha. Subsequently, allegations had surfaced that the police investigation in that case had been manipulated.Earlier, evidence suggesting attempts to derail the investigation had emerged and sources had indicated that SIT’s report too pointed out Kumar’s role in the incident. Till date, no action has been initiated against the officer.
