Govt. introduces SIT to re-investigate ‘kafir screenshot row’

The state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to re-investigate the communally sensitive “Kaffir screenshot controversy” that created a political storm during the polling phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Vadakara constituency.

State Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar issued a directive on Wednesday appointing Kozhikode Rural District Superintendent of Police T. Farash as the investigating officer. He appointed Inspector General of Police, Kannur Range, Yathish Chandra as head of the SIT.

The election battle for Vadakar in Kozhikode was marked by spirited campaigning, during which Communist Party of India (Marxist) Central Committee member and former health minister KK Shailaja locked horns with senior Congress youth leader Shafi Parambil.

As the campaign reached a tipping point, a WhatsApp screenshot hailing Mr Parambil as a “devout Muslim who offers namaz five times a day” surfaced on social media groups. Contentious online messaging, which fueled tensions between rival campaigns, portrayed Ms Shailaj as a “kafir”, a derogatory term used to refer to non-Muslims and apostates.

The Vadakar police were investigating in connection with the defamatory post of Muslim Students Federation district secretary Muhammad Kasim. However, the probe produced no evidence against Mr. Kasim and ended in a dead end. Notably, the investigation arose out of a complaint filed by a local CPI(M) leader, P. Bhaskaran.

Police later told the court they found no evidence to prosecute Mr Kasim and subsequently closed the investigation.

Subsequently, the Congress termed the report as a political intervention orchestrated by the CPI(M) to divide voters along religious lines as part of a Machiavellian gambit to consolidate Hindu votes in favor of Ms. Shailaj.

It is noteworthy that the controversial image was promoted online on social networks for the Left Democratic Front. Congress accused then CPI(M) legislator KK Lathika of “supporting” a religiously schismatic screenshot on her Facebook account, which the leader later denied.

The government set up the SIT after Muslim League of India legislator from Kuttiyadi Parakkal Abdullah, MLA, asked Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala to reinvestigate the case. In his petition, Mr. Abdullah alleged that the police during the previous LDF government had disregarded the Supreme Court’s directive to investigate some DYFI leaders in connection with the incident, including forensic analysis of their mobile phones.

Published – 03 Jun 2026 21:09 IST