The Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) has demanded a probe by National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the case of smuggling of gold from the United Arab Emirates through the Cochin International Airport.
Addressing a news conference here on Saturday, RMP leaders N. Venu and K. S. Hariharan said the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI-M] could have had sourced funds from P.K. Fayaz, alleged kingpin in the gold smuggling case, for killing T.P. Chandrasekharan and even to fight the murder case.
They said Fayaz had met P. Mohanan, aka Mohanan Master, CPI (M) district secretariat member and 14 accused in the case, who was lodged in the district sub jail.
This was allegedly done in collusion with the prison authorities recently. The close links maintained by Fayaz with the accused, including the alleged assailants of Chandrasekharan, revealed that the CPI( M) leadership had illegally channelised funds from gold smuggling for the murder.
The CPI (M) leadership should make public what had transpired between Fayaz and Mohanan in the jail, the RMP leaders said. The explanation by CPI (M) political bureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan that Fayaz had visited N.K. Sunil Kumar aka Kodi Suni, third accused in the case, at the jail also showed that CPI (M) leadership had prior knowledge about such a meeting, Mr. Venu said.
Mr. Hariharan alleged that two CPI (M) leaders in Kannur district maintained close links with Fayaz, who hailed from Mahe. He was a regular visitor to the residences of these two leaders. Similarly, these leaders also frequented the house of Fayaz.
Only a thorough probe by the NIA would reveal whether the CPI (M) had secured funds for meeting the court expenses to fight the Chandrasekharan murder case from gold smuggling rackets led by Fayaz and his team. Investigating agencies had earlier pointed out that different religious and terrorist outfits carried out their covert operations through hawala trade and counterfeit currency, they said.
The RMP leaders also questioned the stoic silence maintained in the case by the Congress party and the Indian Union Muslim League, partners in the ruling United democratic Front. They said the RMP activists would take out a protest march to the Central Income Tax here on October 18 demanding an NIA probe into the gold smuggling case. They also urged the State to order an investigation into the role of Kozhikode District Jail authorities in arranging mobile phones and other facilities to inmates, violating the provisions of the Jail Manual.
