The District and Sessions Court at Thodupuzha on Saturday rejected a review petition filed by Electricity Minister M.M. Mani seeking discharge from a case relating to the murder of Youth Congress leader Anchery Baby in 1982.
Additional Sessions Judge V.G. Sreedevi allowed the prosecution petition to list Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) district secretary K.K. Jayachandran and former Centre of Indian Trade Unions leader A.K. Damodaran as accused in the case. Mr. Mani, a CPI(M) State secretariat member, is the second accused in the case.
In addition to Mr. Mani, the others in the case are first accused Pampupara Kuttan and third accused O.G. Madanan. Nine persons in the case had been acquitted by the court earlier.
The case was reopened by the previous Congress-led United Democratic Front government after Mr. Mani, in a speech on May 25, 2012, claimed that three persons who opposed the party had been killed and Anchery Baby was one among them. The youth leader Anchery Baby was shot dead at Udumbanchola in the district on November 13,1982.
Mani’s stance
Special Correspondent adds from Kottayam: Meanwhile, Mr. Mani said he would appeal to higher courts. “This is the verdict from the district court. There are higher courts to approach,” he told mediapersons in Kottayam.
Reacting to a question, he said the case was politically motivated and he would face the issue legally. “Oommen Chandy (former Chief Minister), Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan (former Home Minister), and Ramesh Chennithala are behind the case,” he alleged.
Referring to the demand for his resignation by the Opposition, Mr. Mani said there was no question of stepping down on the basis of the Opposition demand. “Whether I should resign or not has to be decided by the LDF,” he said.
Mr. Mani was inducted as Minister last month after the resignation of the then Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan in the wake of allegation of nepotism in appointments in public sector undertakings.
