THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ironically, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directly asked for explanation from District Commissioner of Police Chaithra Teresa John for having raided a CPM Office in order to nab accused in a police-station stone-pelting case.

A police team led by Chaithra raided the CPM office on Thursday night. As the police action became controversial, DGP Loknath Behera sought explanation from Teresa and ordered inquiry into it.

But the stern police officer replied to the DGP and the chief minister that she had conducted the raid after being tipped off. Chaithra was given the additional Law and Order responsibility as R Adithya was on Sabarimala duty. Yesterday itself she was relieved of that responsibility and transferred to women’s cell; she is currently the Cantonment SP.

On January 25, Chaithra Teresa raided the Thiruvananthapuram District Committee office of CPM at Mettukada to nab the culprits who pelted stones at Medical College police station.

According to reports, Chaithra had previously rubbed top CPI-(M) leaders the wrong way after she tried to arrest NGO union workers who attacked a State Bank of India branch. Soon after this incident, union leaders had approached the district leaders of CPM and asked them to act against the DCP.

The stone-pelting incident happened after police arrested two DYFI workers who got involved in a case registered under the POCSO Act. Following the attack, the police registered cases against DYFI and CPI-(M) workers according to Chaithra’s instructions.

Later, police got the information that some of these accused people were hiding in the CPI-(M) district committee office. Even though a team of police officers led by Chaithra rushed to the district committee office, there were only a few persons including office secretary.

All rooms were searched. The raid was conducted based on the information that those who pelted stones were hiding in the party office.

Soon after this, District Secretary Anavoor Nagappan had complained to the DGP against the raid.

The background of the stone-pelting case

On Tuesday, the Medical college police had arrested a DYFI worker, who was a POCSO case accused. A gang of DYFI men stoned the police station as they were denied permission to meet the arrested.

In the case, there are ten accused. The arrested person is Bund colony native Manoj.

Who is Chaithra Teresa John?

Kozhikode native Chaithra had passed IPS exam with 111th rank. She won the best all-rounder woman-probationer and best outdoor woman probationer of 2015 IPS batch. She first took charge as station officer at Marangattu Palli Women’s police station.