THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A case has been registered and an investigation launched into social media posts allegedly threatening a member of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s security team with consequences if the UDF comes to power, officials said on Sunday. The Thiruvananthapuram City Cyber Police registered the case following a complaint by Sandeep Sasidharan, a member of the chief minister’s security staff, according to news agency PTI. The Congress had earlier accused Sandeep, along with another officer, Anil Kumar, of assaulting two Youth Congress-KSU activists during a protest against the chief minister at the Navakerala Sadas program in Alappuzha in 2023, allegedly using a flower pot. A subsequent probe was conducted into the incident, and the Crime Branch later gave both officers a clean chit. More recently, after the conclusion of the state assembly election on April 9, several social media posts—allegedly by Congress, Youth Congress and KSU activists—claimed that revenge would be taken once the LDF government is removed and the UDF assumes power. Police said cases have been registered against Facebook accounts named Arun Rajendran, Tom Kuriakose, Yaser KP, Sony Panamthanam, Sarath Pillai, KSU Kanjiramkulam, Rahul John C and Youth Congress Battle. According to the FIR, the complainant’s name and photograph were used in multiple posts that allegedly threatened him with consequences and included abusive language. Police said the account holders have been identified and will soon be summoned as part of the investigation.The case has been registered under Sections 296(b) (uttering obscene words causing public annoyance), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (acts done by several persons) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
