Health Minister Attack case: KSU workers released as prosecution fails to recover weapons

KANNUR: The Thalassery District Sessions Court has granted conditional bail to five KSU activists accused of attacking Kerala Health Minister Veena George. The court issued the order for KSU district president M.C. Athul, along with V.V. Akshay, Bithul Balan, C.H. Mubas, and Ahmed Yaseen, after observing that the prosecution failed to recover any alleged weapons or provide sufficient evidence to substantiate the claim of a premeditated attack.

The prosecution had argued that the accused used dangerous weapons to harm the Minister, a charge strongly contested by the defence. The defence maintained that the incident was a standard black-flag protest and that no such assault occurred, highlighting the lack of physical evidence. In granting bail, the court pointed out the absence of crucial evidence to support the more severe charges levelled against the activists.

As part of the bail conditions, the court directed the activists to appear before the investigating officer every Monday and mandated that they refrain from involvement in any other criminal activities during the bail period. The five individuals were released upon furnishing a personal bond of ₹50,000 each with two solvent sureties.

The case was originally registered based on a statement from the Minister’s gunman, who alleged that the activists used weapons during a protest at the Kannur Railway Station on February 25. While the police had initially sought extended custody, the court's latest ruling shifts the focus to the lack of corroborating forensic or physical evidence in the official complaint.