ED attack case: Police granted custody of 5 accused

Thiruvananthapuram: The judicial first class magistrate court in Thiruvananthapuram granted police custody of five accused in connection with the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials outside the residence of opposition leader and former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram. The accused, listed as the sixth to 10th accused in the case, have been remanded in police custody until 5pm on Wednesday for further interrogation.

The incident happened following an ED raid at the residence of Vijayan and his daughter Veena T, at Bakery Junction in the state capital. The raid was part of the agency’s money laundering investigation into the alleged financial transactions between Veena’s firm, Exalogic Solutions, and Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL).

ED conducted the search operation on May 27, carrying out an inspection that lasted nearly eight hours. The raid came shortly after the Kerala High Court removed legal hurdles that had delayed the agency’s investigation into the case.

According to the prosecution, tensions escalated after the search operation concluded. As ED officials were leaving the premises in their vehicles, a group of CPM, DYFI and SFI workers reportedly surrounded the convoy and attacked the vehicles. Investigators said stones, bricks and wooden sticks were used in the assault, causing damage to the vehicles.

Police subsequently registered a case and launched an investigation into the attack. Several individuals were identified through video footage and other evidence collected from the scene.

The custodial interrogation of the accused is expected to focus on the planning of the attack, the involvement of others, and the circumstances that led to violence.