Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has criticised  Chaithra Theresa John, superintendent of police, who raided CPI(M) district committee office on January 17.

Chaithra Theresa John, was in charge of tracing some of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) workers, who allegedly pelted stones at the Medical College police station for not being allowed to visit two accused in a POCSO case.

Regarding this incident, Pinarayi Vijayan said, "Certain people are trying to demean people who carry out political activities. And raids never used to happen in party offices."

"The officer could not even find an accused inside the party office. I have received complaints against the action undertaken by the police, after which I also asked the DGP to probe into this,” he said while speaking in the Kerala Assembly on Monday.

Earlier, a departmental inquiry was initiated against DCP Chaithra Theresa John, who conducted a raid at the CPI(M) district office. Additional director general of police (ADGP) Manoj Abraham handed over the investigation report to the DGP.

Soon after the raid, the CPI(M) district secretary, Anavoor Nagappan, had complained to the chief minister, and the home department seeking an explanation from the SP. He also requested the government to transfer her with immediate effect. 

The Kerala government, instead of protecting the officer, immediately transferred her.

Earlier too, the woman cop sent eight state government employees belonging to a Left union to jail. They were accused of vandalising a branch of the State Bank of India on January 9 while observing a nationwide strike.

Meanwhile, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, according to reports, slammed chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan for "protecting law breakers instead of such honest officers".