Thiruvananthapuram, March 3 – A court in Kannur, Kerala, on Tuesday rejected the bail pleas of five KSU activists arrested in connection with the alleged attempt to murder State Health Minister Veena George.
The Kannur Judicial First Class Magistrate Court dismissed the applications after hearing detailed arguments from both sides.
The defence argued that the incident at the Kannur railway station last week was merely a protest and that the charge of attempted murder was unfounded.
They contended that no weapon had been recovered and that the police had failed to establish what, if anything, was used in the alleged attack.
The defence also argued that the minister, who was reportedly in poor health and initially unable to give a statement, had later spoken to television channels.
The prosecution, however, sought the accused's custody, arguing that additional CCTV footage needed to be examined and that more individuals were involved in the incident.
They argued that a small weapon might have been used and that pressure had been applied to the minister's neck.
After considering the prosecution's arguments, the court denied bail.
The accused are scheduled to appear in court again on March 5.
Following the incident on February 25, the Minister was first admitted to the Kannur district hospital and later transferred to Pariyaram Kannur Medical College.
After spending a day there, she was discharged against medical advice and travelled over 350 km in her official vehicle to her residence in the Pathanamthitta district.
On Tuesday, in her first public appearance since the incident, George attended a meeting wearing a cervical collar, which quickly drew public attention.
During the 2021 Assembly election campaign, she had also been seen wearing a cervical collar, a detail that is now resurfacing amid heightened political exchanges.
As the Assembly elections approach, the case has taken on a sharper political dimension, even as legal proceedings continue and numerous social media trolls are attacking her for a "fake drama".