Thiruvananthapuram: Chief minister V D Satheesan directed the chief secretary to inquire into the detention of leader of opposition Pinarayi Vijayan by Delhi Police during a protest demanding the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.Satheesan also instructed the chief secretary to contact the resident commissioner in Delhi and intervene in the matter. The intervention came amid reports that Vijayan experienced physical discomfort after being kept in a police vehicle for nearly three-and-a-half hours, with his food and medication allegedly withheld.“Deeply concerned and strongly condemn the arbitrary detention of Pinarayi Vijayan by the Delhi Police. He is currently being held at Mandir Marg police station. On my instructions, the chief secretary, Keralam, and the resident commissioner in New Delhi are in direct contact with Delhi Police authorities to coordinate all necessary steps for his immediate release,” wrote Satheesan on X.John Brittas, MP, who was accompanying Vijayan, informed the media about the former chief minister’s discomfort. He alleged that the police had failed to consider Vijayan’s age and denied him food and medication at the appropriate time.Brittas also claimed that the police were refusing to release Vijayan without instructions from higher authorities. The police, however, maintained that the functionaries, including Vijayan, had not been formally arrested and would be released shortly.The police took Vijayan and other CPM top brass into custody around 11am while they were preparing to march from Kerala House. However, the cops took nearly three-and-a-half hours to bring them to Mandir Marg police station.Brittas and former finance minister K N Balagopal, who were travelling in the same vehicle as Vijayan, reportedly protested against the police action, but their objections were ignored. They also used a live video broadcast to highlight the alleged denial of food and medication to Vijayan, criticising the treatment meted out to the senior party functionaries.Earlier, the police had taken CPM general secretary M A Baby, state secretary M V Govindan, P K Sreemathy and K K Shailaja into custody.
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