Kochi: The police report submitted to the Kerala High Court in connection with the controversial ‘kafir’ screenshot case is expected to provide a boost for the UDF camp, as there is incriminating evidence against pro-left groups behind the conspiracy. The ruling Left Front may find themselves in an embarrassing position, as their high-decibel campaign against UDF candidate Shafi Parambil and the UDF leadership regarding the ‘kafir’ post has been proven to be baseless and ill-motivated.  The report is expected to create an uproar in the political circles in the coming days. 

The detailed report submitted by the police to the Kerala High Court regarding the controversial ‘kafir screenshot’ case contains decisive information about the identities of the individuals behind pro-left social media handles, which shared and circulated the screenshot. According to the report, the post in which  KK Shailaja MLA, the LDF candidate for the Vadakara constituency named as a ‘kafir,’ first appeared in pro-left cyber groups.

The police have informed the court that the post, intended to incite communal sentiments in society, initially appeared in a WhatsApp group named ‘Red Encounters.’ Subsequently, the same post was shared on the Facebook page named “Ambadimukku Sakhakkal.” The investigation also revealed that the person behind the popular pro-left Facebook page ‘Porali Shaji’ is someone named Wahab.

During the Vadakara Lok Sabha election campaign, the controversial ‘kafir’ screenshot was widely shared as a WhatsApp message by MSF leader PK Muhammad Kasim of Thiruvallur. This message, calling LDF candidate KK Shailaja a ‘kafir,’ was circulated extensively on social media, turning the election campaign into a contentious affair filled with allegations of communalism and hatred. Muhammad Kasim and MSF demanded a police investigation to identify the conspirators behind the hate campaign, while IUML alleged that the entire scheme was masterminded by the CPM.

Soon after, the police discovered that Muhammad Kasim was not involved with the post. Although the UDF criticized the police for their lackadaisical approach to the investigation, no further developments emerged at that time. However, in the detailed report submitted to the High Court, there is vital information about the individuals behind the dirty tactics used during the Lok Sabha election. According to the report, the ‘operation’ aimed to create communal divides in society for electoral gain.

The investigation focused on the source of the post's appearance on Facebook pages like ‘Porali Shaji’ and ‘Ambadimukku Sakhakkal.’ It was found that the post initially appeared in two pro-left WhatsApp groups named ‘Red Battalion’ and ‘Red Encounters.’ The admins of ‘Porali Shaji’ and ‘Ambalamukku Sakhakkal’ obtained the post from these WhatsApp groups.

On April 25, 2024, the screenshot was posted on ‘Ambadimukku Sakhakkal.’ During interrogation, Maneesh, the admin of ‘Ambalamukku Sakhakkal,’ stated that he received the screenshot from the WhatsApp group ‘Red Battalion.’ Amal Ram had posted the screenshot in ‘Red Battalion’ at 2:34 pm on April 25. Amal Ram, in turn, stated that he received the post from the ‘Red Encounters’ WhatsApp group, where it was posted by Ribesh Ramakrishnan. The screenshot also appeared on the Facebook page of Porali Shaji on the same day at 8:23 p.m. According to the police report, Ribesh has not revealed the source of the post.

The police have seized Ribesh’s mobile phone and sent it for a thorough examination. Once the cyber cell completes the phone analysis, more details regarding this operation are expected to be uncovered.

The police have informed the court that they have obtained the phone numbers of two individuals named Maneesh and Sajeev, associated with the Facebook page “Ambadimukku Sakhakkal.” Maneesh, the admin of the page, has given a statement about the incident.

The report also confirms that Wahab is the admin behind the pro-left Facebook page ‘Porali Shaji,’ and the two phone numbers used for the verification of the page belong to Wahab.