Kochi, July 29: Seven CPI(M) workers accused of attacking Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in May have approached the Kerala High Court for bail. They have been imprisoned for over two months due to the denial of their bail applications. This case has sparked a high-profile legal battle, as the ED opposes their release.
The bail petitions are scheduled for hearing between July 30 and August 4, following two rejections by the session court. To contest these bail requests, the ED has appointed an Assistant Solicitor General. Meanwhile, the accused have assembled a strong legal team of senior criminal lawyers.
Among those seeking bail are the fifth accused, Shrijit, the seventh accused, Anil Kumar, along with Shafiq, Kiran, and Nishad Jeevan, as well as two other defendants. In total, 24 CPI(M) workers have been in judicial custody for over 60 days.
The accused claim they have been falsely implicated. They argue that many of their identifications were based solely on media reports. They assert that the charges of attempted murder are unfounded, as no weapons were used and no serious injuries occurred. They also noted that no test identification parade was conducted, and the ED’s driver only sustained minor injuries.
Their defense contends that the attempted murder charge was levied to exaggerate the case’s severity. However, it is believed that the prosecution is preparing a partial charge sheet, which could hinder the defendants’ ability to claim statutory bail.
The ED has adopted a stringent legal stance against granting bail to one of the accused. This opposition arose after a government lawyer reportedly took a position different from the police report. A petition from the state government to cancel that bail is also pending in the High Court.
This case is linked to a violent incident that occurred in the last week of May when ED officials conducted a search at the rented residence of opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan. This search was part of an investigation related to his daughter Veena’s defunct IT company, CMRL-Exlogic.
Following the search, a crowd of CPI(M) supporters allegedly attacked the convoy of officials as they were leaving in rented vehicles. Some ED personnel were injured in the attack, and the vehicles sustained damage.
Earlier this week, the ED paid ₹1.75 lakh for repairs to the damaged rental vehicles used during the operation.
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