Kerala Court Grants Bail to Former CM Vijayan's Security Team Amid Funeral Escort Dispute

A Kerala court on June 9 granted anticipatory bail to five members of the security team of former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The men were charged for assaulting Youth Congress and KSU protesters during the Nava Kerala Sadas programme on Dec 15, 2023, facing sections 294(b), 324 and 308 of the Indian Penal Code. A Special Investigation Team appointed by the newly elected state government was tasked with filing a final report within a month.

The Vijayan office on the same day rejected filmmaker Major Ravi’s claim that the chief minister had used an oversized security detail—56 vehicles, 560 police personnel and 10 fire units—at the funeral of late actor Innocent. It called the allegation “factually incorrect,” warned of legal action against those spreading the claim, and said media footage showed a much smaller escort.