Thiruvananthapuram | Former District Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor T Geena Kumari, whose services were terminated allegedly for not opposing the bail plea of a CPI(M) worker accused in the attack on ED officials, described the action against her as "retaliatory" on Monday.

Kumari was removed from the post on Sunday, and the state government appointed A Santhosh Kumar as Special Public Prosecutor in the case following a controversy over the grant of bail to one of the accused after the public prosecutor allegedly failed to oppose the bail plea before a district court here.

Last month, an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team conducted a search at the rented house where former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was staying in Thiruvananthapuram as part of a money laundering probe involving his daughter, Veena T.

While the ED officials and security personnel were returning after the search, CPI(M) activists allegedly blocked their vehicles and damaged them.

A case was registered against around 300 people, and several CPI(M) activists were arrested.

The controversy erupted after the ninth accused, Harish Kumar, was granted bail by a district court.

Police claimed they had submitted a report citing 13 grounds for opposing the bail application, but alleged that the public prosecutor did not place their objections before the court.

The ED later moved the court, seeking to implead itself in the case, and also approached the Kerala High Court challenging the bail granted to Kumar.

Following these developments, the police lodged a complaint against the prosecutor with the State Police Chief and the Director General of Prosecution.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Kumari said she was leaving office with the satisfaction of having handled cases with sincerity and honesty during her nine-and-a-half-year tenure as a government lawyer.

She said she had served as a government lawyer since December 24, 2016, and was stepping down with a sense of fulfilment despite the departure being inevitable.

Referring to media reports describing her removal as a "retaliatory action", Kumari said the government order itself did not mention any such reason.

She said that as District Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor, she had presented police reports before courts and argued bail applications accordingly.

She added that she had handled hundreds of cases, including those involving political clashes, murder and rape, besides appearing in cases involving ministers and MLAs.

Kumari said she had never shown any bias in favour of the LDF, UDF or NDA while discharging her duties and had never acted in any manner that compromised the law or justice. She asserted that she would continue to uphold the same standards in her legal profession.

Expressing gratitude, she thanked her senior and junior colleagues, office staff and police officers in the prosecution wing for their support, saying the office could not have functioned without their cooperation.

The Law Department on Sunday evening issued an order terminating Kumari's services with immediate effect.

The order said she would be paid one month's salary in lieu of the mandatory one-month notice period.

Additional Public Prosecutor Shaji A R has been given charge as Public Prosecutor until a new prosecutor is appointed.

Meanwhile, A Santhosh Kumar, who has been appointed as Special Public Prosecutor, is scheduled to appear for the police in another bail application in the case to be considered by the district court on Monday.

The Kerala High Court is also slated to consider the petition challenging the bail granted to Harish Kumar.