The Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) has demanded that the State government order a probe into the increasing number of prosecution witnesses in the T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case turning hostile.
The party secretary N. Venu told media persons here on Friday that the government should consider bringing in some provision to arrest the trend of witnesses retracting in trial court the statements they had earlier given to the investigation team.
CPI(M)’s role
He alleged that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had previously attempted to sabotage the investigation process by threatening police officers. Now it was intimidating and persuading witnesses to turn hostile during trial, Mr. Venu said.
He said the government should adopting a similar stance taken by the Centre in the Best Bakery case where witnesses turned hostile, and probe why the 48 witnesses of the case had turned hostile. He also urged the State government to order a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the larger conspiracy behind the killing of Chandrasekharan.
Chandrasekharan, who walked out of the CPI (M) in 2008 and floated the dissident outfit RMP, was hacked to death by a hired gang at Onchiyam on May 4, 2012.
Propaganda
K.S. Harilal, State Secretary of the Left Coordination Committee, who was present at the press meet on Saturday, charged the CPI (M) with unleashing a propaganda against the RMP. This was after the party had been able to convince the public of the “fascist ideology” of the CPI (M) to eliminate its opponents, he said.
Mr. Harilal said the CPI (M) had no right even to protest against the visit of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to the State. Mr. Venu said the RMP would conduct a national seminar on ‘Indian Left: crisis and hope’ in connection with the first anniversary of the killing of Chandrasekharan on May 4. Delegates of the Left Front from different parts of the country will take part in the seminar. A photo exhibition will be conducted at Orkkatteri ground on May 3. A rally will be held at Onchiyam on May 4.
Mangath Ram Pasla (CPI-M, Punjab), Prasen Jith Bose (Left Collective, Delhi), Kanam Rajendran (CPI) and M. Rajan (MCPU) will speak on the occasion.
