Six Left Democratic Front (LDF) leaders including General Education Minister V. Sivankutty, LDF convener E.P. Jayarajan and former Minister K.T. Jaleel who are accused in the 2015 Assembly ruckus case appeared before the Thiruvananthapuram Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Monday.
The court adjourned the case to December 1 to decide on when to commence the trial. While the defendants sought copies of the reinvestigation report, the prosecution sought further time in providing them.
The accused maintained that they had not orchestrated the violence on purpose and that they had reacted against the manhandling meted out on women legislators by United Democratic Front (UDF) MLAs.
Speaking to media persons later, Mr. Jayarajan alleged the LDF legislators had been framed in the case out of political vendetta. He also blamed the then Speaker for having adopting an apathetic stance towards the concerns that had been raised by the Opposition.
While this infuriated the LDF MLAs prompting them to register their protest, this was met with violence unleashed by the UDF legislators, he alleged.