Repeated confrontations at the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation over the past week have escalated into another police case, with more complaints expected as the political standoff between the BJP, the UDF and the LDF continues to spill into the council hall.

The latest case was registered by the Museum Police on a complaint filed by two Congress women councillors following Monday's scuffle inside the Corporation council. The development comes after a series of clashes linked to the civic body's functioning, including protests over jailed BJP councillor R Sugathan and earlier violence outside the Mayor's office that had already resulted in multiple FIRs.

Congress women councillors file complaint

Museum Police registered a case against four BJP councillors — Chempazhanthy Udayan, Giri V, Vayalakkara Ratheesh and Pappanamcode Saji — based on a complaint lodged by Congress councillors Sherly S and Anitha Alex. Udayan has been named as the first accused.

The case has been registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt. Police said a detailed investigation has begun.

The BJP is also expected to submit a complaint against UDF councillors, potentially leading to another case.

The latest violence erupted after Monday's Corporation council meeting, which had already begun amid heightened political tensions. Both the LDF and the UDF had staged protests outside the Corporation office before the session. The atmosphere remained tense following recent clashes outside Mayor V V Rajesh's chamber that left several LDF and BJP councillors injured.

Attendance register at the centre of clash

The meeting itself ended quickly after Mayor Rajesh announced that all agenda items had been approved. The confrontation began shortly afterwards when councillors moved towards the attendance register.

According to the UDF, the dispute centred on the attendance of BJP councillor R Sugathan, who is in jail under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA). UDF leaders alleged they wanted to sign the register to ensure his absence was properly recorded and could not be altered later.

Leader of the UDF parliamentary party K S Sabarinadhan alleged that Udayan prevented Congress councillors, including women members, from signing the register, verbally abused them and physically assaulted them. The UDF also alleged that Udayan snatched the attendance register and tore its pages.

Police records cited by local reports said that Udayan allegedly assaulted the women councillors during the confrontation, with Sherly S claiming she was struck on the back of her neck.

The BJP rejected the allegations and presented a different account of the incident. It claimed that Sabarinadhan and other UDF councillors had attempted to tamper with the attendance register and that BJP members intervened to stop them. Mayor Rajesh also alleged that the UDF had tried to pour water on the register.

Meanwhile, BJP councillor Archana Manikandan has filed a counter-complaint against UDF councillors. She is undergoing treatment in hospital, and police said her statement will be recorded before deciding on registering another case.

The latest police action adds to a series of legal proceedings arising from repeated confrontations at the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, where political disputes have increasingly shifted from the council floor to police investigations.