The probe into the assault on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in Thiruvananthapuram has decisively shifted toward unmasking the alleged conspiracy behind the violence, with investigators now mining phone records, WhatsApp chats and CCTV visuals for a coordinated mobilisation pattern. The attack occurred after ED searches linked to the CMRL-Exalogic monthly payment case, which has drawn in Kerala's Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

SIT structure and command

A 30-member Special Investigation Team has been constituted under the direct supervision of the Cantonment Assistant Commissioner. Museum Station House Officer R. Prasanth is leading the probe, assisted by five inspectors and seven sub-inspectors. The team has already recorded statements from ED officials in Kochi, including Assistant Director Sanith Reddy, and secured the original search warrant tied to the raid.

Digital evidence at the centre

Investigators are leaning heavily on the cyber cell to reconstruct the minutes before, during and after the raid. Calls placed between leaders and workers, WhatsApp message threads and location pings are being mapped to test the ED's position that the violence was a planned assault rather than a spontaneous outburst. ED officials have reportedly told the SIT that the timing and coordination of the mob point to advance planning.

Arrests, identifications and the scale of the case

Around 300 identifiable persons have been named in the case registered by the Museum Police, and 25 people have been arrested so far. Police have identified 46 individuals from visuals of the incident and are tracking down the rest. The ED has cautioned that the probe must not stop at foot soldiers and should extend to those who allegedly directed the mobilisation.

ED weighs CBI handover

The agency has briefed the Union Home Ministry and is reportedly exploring a request for a CBI investigation, framing the incident as a serious assault on a central agency. It has cited precedents from other states where the CBI took over after similar attacks on ED personnel. The ED is also collecting video footage to oppose bail pleas of the arrested accused before the Sessions Court.

Political flashpoint over SIT chief

Controversy has erupted over the appointment of SIT head R. Prasanth, who serves as state president of the Kerala Police Officers Association — a body considered close to Left organisations. The Opposition has flagged concerns of possible bias, leaving Prasanth with the dual burden of running a politically sensitive probe while signalling neutrality. A Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Thiruvananthapuram has already observed that the episode was not a public protest but an organised attack targeting ED officials and CRPF personnel.

What happens next

With the ED, state police and the judiciary tracking the case in parallel, the next phase will turn on whether digital forensics can credibly link party functionaries to the mob. A CBI transfer request, if filed, could escalate the case into a full-blown Centre-state confrontation in the run-up to Kerala's next electoral cycle.