Thiruvananthapuram: Apparently in an attempt to delay the trial in connection with the Kerala assembly ruckus case, the State Government been delaying the handing over of   the required documents to the accused, including incumbent minister V Sivankutty.

The defense had demanded the additional statements made by the witnesses in the follow up investigation by the Crime Branch. Even as there is no legal barrier in handing over the records to the accused, the government has been dilly dallying in the matter. The government stance is that the additional statements will be presented by the prosecution during the trial and the same can be handed over to the accused then if needed.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Shibu Daniel will be hearing both sides when the case is taken up on April 8.

The Crime Branch informed in the report that the further investigation was done on the basis of the petitions filed earlier by former MLAs K Ajith, Bijimol and Geetha Gopi, other accused in the case. Defense counsels, including the one for K Ajith, had sought to know from the court on whose direction it gave a nod for further investigation. 

The case involves a loss worth Rs 2.20 lakh to the public exchequer as a result of the ruckus made by the Left legislators in the legislative assembly while preventing then Finance minister K M Mani from presenting the budget on March 13, 2015.  LDF leaders E P Jayarajan, K T Jaleel MLA, C K Sadasivan, K Kunjahammed were the other accused in the case.