Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi | Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Tuesday defended the suspension of police personnel attached to former CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s security detail in connection with the alleged assault on Youth Congress workers in Alappuzha two years ago, stating that the action was taken based on the findings of an SIT.

Addressing reporters in New Delhi, Satheesan said the police had earlier attempted to sabotage the case by falsely claiming before the court that no visuals of the assault existed.

He also said the suspension was not part of any political vendetta.

Satheesan alleged that despite the court ordering a reinvestigation, the police delayed the probe, following which the present government constituted a Special Investigation Team and initiated action based on its report.

“The present action was taken based on the report received. Several manipulations had taken place in the case. The attack on the Youth Congress activists during the Vijayan-led Cabinet’s Nava Kerala Yatra took place after the then CM had passed through the area,” Satheesan said.

He said the visuals of the assault during the Nava Kerala Yatra were disturbing and unforgettable, especially for those with children.

“That is why I said there are certain incidents that cannot be forgotten,” he added.

Responding to a question on whether action would be taken against senior police officers who allegedly tried to derail the case, Satheesan said this was only the first step and assured that appropriate action would be taken after a detailed examination of the investigation report.

Earlier in the day, five police officers who were part of Vijayan’s security detail were suspended in connection with the alleged assault on two Youth Congress workers during a protest against him in Alappuzha in 2023.

The action follows a report submitted by an SIT constituted by the UDF government soon after it assumed office to reinvestigate the case, police said.

The seven-member SIT was headed by Superintendent of Police A P Shoukathali.

A police spokesperson confirmed that five policemen, including the former CM’s gunman, had been suspended.

The spokesperson added that the state police chief had directed the SIT to complete the reinvestigation and submit its report within one month.

The move came after the first Cabinet meeting of the UDF government, chaired by Satheesan, decided to order a reinvestigation into the incident that occurred during the Nava Kerala Yatra in Alappuzha.

A D Thomas, who won the April 9 Assembly election from the Alappuzha constituency, was among the Youth Congress leaders injured in the alleged attack.