Kerala CM’s political secretary P. Sasi files criminal defamation case against P.V. Anvar-OxBig News Network

P.V. Anvar (file)
| Photo Credit: K K Mustafah

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s political secretary P. Sasi has initiated criminal defamation proceedings against MLA P.V. Anvar, filing cases in the Thalassery and Kannur First Class Magistrate Courts, on Friday (November 15, 2024).

The action follows a series of serious allegations made by Mr. Anvar against Mr. Sasi, which include claims of involvement in gold smuggling and links with the RSS, among other charges.

The move comes after Mr. Anvar failed to respond to a legal notice issued on October 3 by Mr. Sasi’s lawyer, demanding a retraction and public apology.

Mr. Anvar’s allegations had been publicised in press conferences, public events, and a letter addressed to Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary M.V. Govindan, which was also widely shared on social media.

Mr. Sasi, represented by Advocate K. Viswan, has dismissed Mr. Anvar’s accusations as baseless and defamatory, including those linking him to the death of former Kannur Additional District Magistrate (ADM) K. Naveen Babu and controversies surrounding senior CPI(M) leader E.P. Jayarajan’s autobiography. The petition filed in Kannur specifically addresses these allegations, while the additional petition in Thalassery targets other claims.

‘Underworld elements behind Anvar’

After filing the case, Mr. Sasi alleged that “underworld elements” were behind Mr. Anvar’s actions, suggesting that “the ultimate target is the Chief Minister.”

This marks Mr. Sasi’s first public counter to Mr. Anvar’s claims, with the former declaring his intention to clear his name against what he called “unfounded and politically motivated accusations.”