The cross-examination of Vadakara Deputy Superintendent of Police Jossy Cherian continued on Wednesday at the Special Additional District and Sessions Court (Marad cases) here, which is trying the murder case of Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader T.P. Chandrasekharan.
Mr. Cherian, who was part of the special team that probed the case, told special judge R. Narayana Pisharadi that several accused in the case had gathered at the flower shop of M.K. Padayankandi Raveendran, member of the CPI(M) Orkatteri local committee on April 2, 2012, to allegedly hatch a conspiracy to kill Chandrasekharan.
Accused
These accused were P. Mohanan, member of the Kozhikode district secretariat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], C.H. Ashokan, former secretary of the Onchiyam area committee of the CPI (M); K.K. Krishnan, member of the same committee; and K.C. Ramchandran, member of the Kunnummakkara local committee. Chandrasekharan was killed at Vallikkad at Onchiyam on May 4, 2012. Mr. Cherian refuted the suggestion made by defence counsel that he had made up the conspiracy theory to support the prosecution in the case.
Rally
The defence counsel argued that these accused had been participating in a rally at Onchiyam in connection with the CPI (M) party congress from April 4 to 9 in Kozhikode.
The officer also testified that he had not inquired if there was someone at the Brothers Club at Vallikkad when Chandrasekharan was hacked to death at around 10.15 p.m.
He was engaged with security arrangements at Vallikkad and its adjoining regions and Vadakara till 11 a.m. on May 5 following the death of Chandrasekharan. During that tense situation, he was unable even to do preliminary work for nabbing the culprits, Mr. Cherian said.
He also denied the allegation of the defence counsels that four eyewitnesses had been included to strengthen the case.
He said that he could not remember if anyone had informed him that the Toyota Innova multi utility vehicle used by the assailants was identifiable.
The Dy.SP also refuted the allegation of the defence counsel that the witnesses had been recruited after arresting N.K. Sunil Kumar aka Kodi Suni, third accused, and his gang from Iritty in Kannur district. He also denied that he had colluded with the Panur Circle Inspector Jayan Dominic to make Santhosh Poliyor 18 prosecution witness in the case.
Mr. Cherian also disagreed with the defence counsel’s argument that the police had foisted the murder charge on Anoop after keeping him in custody for several days.
