Thiruvananthapuram: A major twist has emerged in the attempted murder case filed against Kerala Students’ Union (KSU) workers over the black flag protest against Health Minister Veena George at Kannur Railway Station in the last week of February, with the minister’s own statement weakening the prosecution’s core charge.
In her deposition to the police probe team, recorded nearly two months after the incident, Veena George stated that only pushing and jostling occurred during the protest.
The statement effectively undermines the allegation made by her gunman that she had suffered a neck injury inflicted with a weapon, an accusation that formed the basis for invoking Section 307 (attempt to murder) against five KSU workers.
The accused had spent over two weeks in jail before securing bail.
With no substantive evidence backing the charge, the Railway Police are now set to drop the attempt to murder count and proceed with lesser offences when filing the chargesheet.
The protest unfolded during the minister’s visit to Kannur, where she faced black flag demonstrations at five locations.
The situation escalated at the railway station, reportedly triggered by the alleged assault of Youth League leader Shajir Iqbal by CPI(M) workers at Peringome earlier that day.
At Platform 1, the confrontation lasted around two minutes, marked by pushing, shouting, and commotion.
Following the incident, the minister cancelled her journey and was rushed to the district hospital.
As news spread rapidly, senior leaders, including Chief Minister Vijayan, visited her.
Later that night, she was shifted to Government Medical College Pariyaram for further evaluation.
The five KSU workers arrested at the scene were initially detained by Town Police and later handed over to the Railway Police.
An FIR was registered the same night, and the accused were produced before a magistrate the next morning and remanded.
Bail was granted only after about two weeks.
Significantly, the wound certificate from the district hospital did not record any injury caused by a weapon.
Statements from police personnel on duty and CCTV visuals from the station also failed to indicate any attempt to murder.
Though medical bulletins from Pariyaram hospital repeatedly mentioned pain in the cervical spine region, no corroborative evidence of a serious assault emerged.
Despite multiple attempts, investigators were unable to record the minister’s statement earlier.
It was only after the elections that she provided a detailed account, prompting a reassessment of the case.
The development lends weight to Opposition claims that the charges were excessive, raising broader questions about the use of serious criminal provisions in politically-charged situations.
This incident started a trail of social media trolls depicting the journalist-turned-Minister in poor light.
(IANS)
