Alappuzha: In a major twist, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has informed the court that the conspiracy to derail the investigation into the alleged assault of protesters by the Chief Minister’s gunmen was hatched within the office of the then ADGP (Law and Order). The SIT reportedly found that the official report recommending the closure of the case was drafted inside the ADGP's office itself.

The investigation team reached this conclusion based on statements given by the DySP who previously headed the probe, along with other personnel attached to the ADGP’s office. This development effectively shifts the focus of the ongoing investigation onto M R Ajith Kumar, who was holding the charge of ADGP (Law and Order) at the time. The fresh report strongly backs the prosecution's allegation that the case was sabotaged under immense pressure from top-level officials.

Furthermore, the SIT submitted to the court that the official police photographer could not reach the spot while the assault was happening and arrived only after the incident had concluded. Consequently, the police's official footage contains no evidence of the violence, making visual recordings from private news channels the primary evidence in the case.

Meanwhile, the Alappuzha Sessions Court expressed strong displeasure over the SIT's conduct. The court questioned how the confidential investigative report reached the media before it was formally submitted to the bench. Asking whether the SIT was driven by personal interests, the court noted that investigative findings should legally be presented to the judiciary first.

The court also questioned the sudden escalation of charges against the accused, asking why non-bailable offences, including attempt to murder, were abruptly added after bailable sections were initially invoked. The bench openly inquired if these stringent sections were tacked on simply because the accused were on the verge of securing bail. Arguments regarding the anticipatory bail pleas of the accused are currently ongoing.