Chandrasekharan murder case: 3 CPM leaders given life term by Kerala court

Thiruvananthapuram: Eleven people, including three CPM leaders, were today given life term by a Kerala court in connection with the murder of TP Chandrasekharan. Mr Chandrasekharan was hacked to death in May, 2012. He was the president of the Revolutionary Marxist Party or RMP in CPI(M) stronghold of Onchiyam in Kozhikode after he was expelled from CPI(M).

One of the 12 accused found guilty in the case last week was awarded three years' imprisonment.

The verdict came as an indictment for the CPI(M) as the judge observed that the motive of the crime was political and not personal enmity.

The party leaders sentenced to life imprisonment are P K Kunhanandan, a committee member from Panur in Kannur district, K C Ramachandran, a local committee secretary and Manoj, a branch secretary.

Reacting to the sentence, Mr Chandrasekharan's widow K K Rema said it came as relief to a great extent as it laid bare the CPI(M)'s involvement in the conspiracy to annihilate her husband.

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Mr Chandrasekharan had sustained 51 hack injuries on his face at the time of his death. The prosecution had argued that the leader was killed after being hacked to death by the seven-member gang, which was hired by the CPM.

Initially, there were 76 accused against whom chargesheet was filed, but the number was later dropped to 36 after the court had stayed the trial of 15 accused. Twenty two people were acquitted for lack of evidence, including former CPM Kozhikode District Secretary.

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Mr Chandrashekharan's murder became a reason for public rift within the CPM leadership. While  Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan has hailed him as a brave communist, CPM State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan slammed him as a traitor.

The case had 166 witnesses of which 52 turned hostile.

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