SIT to probe in-flight assault case

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday said the police will constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the complaint that Youth Congress workers were beaten up on an Indigo flight by CPM leader EP Jayarajan.

Speaking to the media here, Ramesh Chennithala said the court had earlier set aside the police report giving a clean chit to E P Jayarajan . He added that the SIT members will be decided by the City Police Commissioner.

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Two Youth Congress leaders were allegedly attacked by EP Jayarajan when they tried to protest against Pinarayi in an Indigo flight when it landed in Thiruvananthapuram from Kannur on June 13, 2022.

The protesters alleged EP Jayarajan attacked them inside the aircraft. Although the Youth Congress filed a complaint against the senior CPM leader, the police didn’t act against him.

The Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday ordered a fresh investigation on the complaint that CPM leader EP Jayarajan allegedly assaulted Youth Congress functionaries during an in-flight protest against then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The court rejected the police report that concluded no case could be registered against Jayarajan.

Youth Congress functionaries, including Farseen Majeed, filed the complaint, alleging that Jayarajan assaulted them when they protested against the Chief Minister aboard an IndiGo flight in 2022.

The case dates back to June 13, 2022, when Youth Congress workers boarded an IndiGo flight from Kannur to Thiruvananthapuram. Upon landing, the workers staged a slogan-shouting protest against then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over gold smuggling allegations. The activists alleged that EP Jayarajan violently pushed and manhandled them inside the aircraft aisle