A person has been taken into custody after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s gunman and driver were allegedly attacked by a five-member group at Wandoor in Kerala’s Malappuram district, police said on Saturday (April 4).
According to the FIR, the incident occurred around 7.30 pm on Friday at Chellithode near Thiruvali while Tharoor was travelling to attend an election campaign event of Congress leader AP Anilkumar, stated media reports.
The complaint was filed by the gunman, based on which the case was registered. Police said the incident took place when there was a roadblock at the Chelithode bridge, where the accused, travelling in two vehicles, allegedly blocked the MP’s convoy.
The escalation happened when the gunman, identified as Ratheesh KP, attempted to clear the obstruction, he and the driver were attacked, according to the FIR.
As per reports, officials noted that the road was narrow and that the gunman had only requested the vehicle ahead to move faster to ensure smooth passage for the convoy.
The Wandoor Police said one person was taken into custody late Friday night and the remaining accused have been identified and will be apprehended soon.
Meanwhile, Shashi Tharoor said he was not harmed in the incident. Posting on his ‘X’ handle, he said he was grateful for the concern shown by well-wishers.
https://x.com/ShashiTharoor/status/2040276768838578483?s=20
“Truly touched by all the messages and calls expressing concern about the untoward incident last night when my security guard was attacked. He is well and I was untouched. Thank you to all friends and well-wishers. We carried on undaunted yesterday and concluded two more events as planned. And our ongoing programme remains unaffected,” his post read on X.
Kerala Elections 2026: High-Stakes Contest
The incident comes amid the ongoing campaign for the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, scheduled to be held in a single phase on April 9 across all 140 constituencies, with results to be declared on May 4.
The polls are shaping up to be a closely fought contest between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), with the BJP-led NDA also seeking to expand its presence.
The election is likely to be a crucial test of the LDF government’s performance, with issues such as welfare delivery, unemployment, governance, and anti-incumbency dominating the campaign narrative.
With no clear wave in favour of any alliance, analysts expect a tightly contested race, making every constituency and campaign event such as the one Tharoor was travelling to politically significant.
