Thiruvananthapuram, March 3 (IANS) A court in Kerala's Kannur on Tuesday rejected the bail plea of five KSU activists arrested in the case of allegedly attempting to murder state Health Minister Veena George.
The Kannur Judicial First Class Magistrate Court dismissed the applications after hearing detailed arguments from both sides.
The defence maintained that the incident at Kannur railway station last week was merely a black flag protest and that the charge of attempt to murder was unsustainable.
It argued that no weapon had been recovered and that the police had failed to establish what, if anything, was used in the alleged attack.
The defence also contended that the minister, said to be in poor health and initially unable to give a statement, had subsequently spoken to television channels.
The prosecution, however, sought custody of the accused, contending that additional CCTV footage needed to be examined and that more individuals were involved in the incident.
It argued that a small weapon might have been used and that pressure had been inflicted on the minister’s neck.
Accepting the prosecution’s submissions, the court denied bail.
The accused are scheduled to be produced again on March 5.
Following the incident on February 25, the Minister was first admitted to the Kannur district hospital and later shifted to Pariyaram Kannur Medical College.
After spending a day there, she took discharge against medical advice and travelled over 350 km in her official vehicle to her residence in Pathanamthitta district.
On Tuesday, in her first public appearance since the episode, George attended a meeting wearing a cervical collar, a visual that quickly drew public attention.
During the 2021 Assembly election campaign, she had also been seen wearing a cervical collar, a detail now resurfacing amid heightened political exchanges.
With Assembly elections approaching, the case has acquired a sharper political edge, even as the legal proceedings continue to unfold and not to mention the numerous social media trolls attacking her for a 'fake drama'.
--IANS
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