Democratic Youth Federation of India State secretary T.V. Rajesh¸ MLA, surrendered before court in Kannur on Monday in the wake of the High Court’s dismissal of his anticipatory bail application moved after he was arraigned as one of the accused in the Abdul Shukkoor murder case.
Mr. Rajesh came to the court room of the First Class Judicial Magistrate Court-1 here at around 3-50 p.m. accompanied by Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader M.V. Jayarajan and some DYFI leaders. Magistrate C. Mujeeb Rahiman remanded Mr. Rajesh for 14 days. When his counsel moved the bail application, the magistrate posted it for August 14 in view of the absence of C.K. Sreedharan who has been appointed Special Public Prosecutor in the murder case. Following the request of the counsel, the magistrate said that Mr. Rajesh being an MLA would be remanded in the Central Prison. The magistrate also said that the court would inform the Assembly Speaker of the remand of the MLA.
Mr. Rajesh was an accused in the case of the murder of Indian Union Muslim League activist at Keezhara on February 20 last. As many as 28 CPI(M) workers and functionaries, including the party district secretary P. Jayarajan had been arrested in the case. Both Mr. Jayarajan, an accused in the case, and Mr. Rajesh were charged under 118 of the Indian Penal Code which relates to punishment for concealing design to commit an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life. With Mr. Rajesh’s remand, 29 party functionaries are in jail in connection with the case.
After the court proceedings, Mr. Rajesh was taken to the Central Jail in a police vehicle. Scores of CPI(M) and DYFI workers gathered outside the prison to see and greet the MLA. They also shouted slogans against the police.
According to the special investigation team probing the murder case, P. Jayarajan and Rajesh had prior knowledge about the conspiracy to commit the offence as the plot was hatched at the Taliparamba Co-operative Hospital where the two had been admitted after they had been attacked by IUML workers at Ariyil on February 20. The conspiracy part of the crime was unearthed after the arrest and questioning of CPI(M) Ariyil local secretary U.V. Venu and DYFI Taliparamba block president A.V. Babu.
T.V. Rajesh had been interrogated by the police team on July 30, two days before the arrest of Mr. Jayarajan. The district had witnessed large scale violence in the aftermath of Mr. Jayarajan.
Mr. M.V. Jayarajan told media persons assembled in the court premises that the United Democratic Front government had listed Mr. Jayarajan and Mr. Rajesh as accused in a fabricated case with political motives. He said that the party would resort to legal measures against it. He also alleged that the police force here was unleashing terror. There had been 10 cases of police excesses against CPI(M) in the district since the all-party meeting here, he added.
