The trial in the Kerala Assembly case is underway

On 13 March 2015, members of the LDF and UDF engaged in a heated exchange at a rally in Kerala. Photo credit: FILE PHOTO

The trial in the 2015 Kerala Assembly case began at the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, nearly 11 years after the incident.

In a significant development on the opening day, key witness Shyama, a former assistant engineer who was on assembly duty at the time of the incident, identified all six accused, including former ministers V Sivankutty, EP Jayarajan and KT Jaleel, who were in the dock.

In her testimony, the witness told the court that she had personally witnessed former lawmakers damaging valuable electronic devices inside the assembly. The former employee also confirmed that he had recorded footage from eight CCTV cameras installed inside the assembly on DVD.

The discs presented to the court were identified as containing the recording of the incident. These recordings are considered crucial evidence in the case.

Meanwhile, a controversy arose over the proposed testimony of then Assembly Secretary PD Sarangadharan, who is also the complainant and first witness in the case. He requested permission to testify online, citing his inability to appear in person. The court is expected to rule on the matter at its next hearing.

Apart from the three former ministers, the other accused in the case are K. Ajith, CK Sadasivan and K. Kunhammad.

The incident took place on 13 March 2015 when Oommen Chandy was the Chief Minister of Kerala. Amid the bar bribery controversy involving the then finance minister KM Mani, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) lawmakers staged a strong protest inside the assembly and said they would not allow him to present the state budget. The protest subsequently escalated into violent clashes.

According to the Criminal Division indictment, the speaker’s podium was damaged. Computers, microphones, chairs and other electrical equipment were also reportedly destroyed during the incident, resulting in damage to public property worth around ₹2,20,000 crore.

Published – 03 Nov 2026 19:46 IST