The Kerala government on Sunday (June 28, 2026) appointed senior advocate A. Santhosh Kumar as the Special Public Prosecutor in the case relating to the alleged assault on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials following a raid on the residence of the Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram recently.

The appointment comes amid controversy over the handling of the prosecution after the ninth accused, Harish Kumar, a Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) worker, was granted bail. The outcome prompted the Thiruvananthapuram City Police to seek the removal of the existing prosecutor T. Geena Kumari whose conduct in the bail proceedings has come under intense scrutiny.

The police alleged that she failed to effectively oppose the bail application, despite a detailed report recommending its rejection. According to official sources, a report citing 13 grounds for denying bail was not adequately presented before the court. They further contend that the prosecutor argued that custodial interrogation was unnecessary, a stand that allegedly facilitated the grant of bail to the ninth accused.

Subsequently, Museum station house officer (SHO) R. Prashanth met the Director General of Prosecutions and submitted the case diary along with a report detailing the alleged lapses during the bail proceedings. Based on the findings, the government decided to entrust the prosecution to a Special Public Prosecutor.

The appointment also assumes significance as the bail applications of the other accused in the case are scheduled to be heard by the Thiruvananthapuram District and Sessions Court in the coming days. Officials fear that the bail granted to the ninth accused could influence the consideration of similar pleas filed by the remaining accused.

State mulls appeal

The State government is also considering filing an appeal in the Kerala High Court against the bail order.

Speaking to media persons in Alappuzha earlier in the day, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala confirmed steps are being taken to appoint the Special Public Prosecutor. He said the government could not accept any circumstance in which a prosecutor was perceived to have facilitated bail for the accused. “We are considering how to remove the prosecutor who allegedly colluded to facilitate bail for the accused,” he added.