Former MLA and Congress leader KS Sabarinadhan was arrested by the Valiyathura police in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, July 19, on charges that he conspired and planned the in-flight protest against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan last month. Sabarinadhan was earlier summoned by the police for an inquiry, after WhatsApp chats allegedly showed that the protest was planned earlier. Sabarinadhan, based on his Whatsapp chats, allegedly instigated the Congress workers to protest against the CM.
Sabarinadhan had approached the District Sessions Court in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday for anticipatory bail and the court told the police not to arrest him until his bail plea is heard. This is when the Government Pleader reportedly submitted to the court that Sabarinadhan's arrest had been recorded already. The court then asked why the arrest was recorded despite the fact that his bail plea was being heard by the court. The court then asked the exact time of the arrest.
TNM tried to reach out to the police, but despite repeated attempts, they were not available to comment. According to reports, Sabarinadhan is currently at the Shankumukham Assisgtant Commissioner of Police office.
Earlier on June 14, when the CM, accompanied by senior CPI(M) leader and former minister EP Jayarajan was travelling on an IndiGo flight from Kannur to Thiruvananthapuram, Youth Congress workers raised slogans against the Chief Minister. EP Jayarajan, currently the Left Democratic Front convener, pushed away the protestors, and a video of the incident was widely circulated. Jayarajan and two Youth Congress workers who staged the protest in the flight — Farseen and Naveen Kumar — were temporarily banned from flying for weeks by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on Monday, July 18.
Farseen Majeed and Naveen Kumar were also booked by the police under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 34 (criminal act done by several persons in furtherance of the common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
After a police complaint alleged that Sabarinadhan had planned the protest, Shankumukham Assistant Commissioner had summoned him for questioning on July 19.