Congress leader K. Muraleedharan, MLA, has said that the trial court verdict acquitting 20 accused in the T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case is a major set back to the United Democratic Front (UDF) and its campaign against political violence.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Mr. Muraleedharan, while debunking the suggestion that the verdict had its echo in the factional fights in the Congress, demanded a re-investigation into the murder case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). It was unfortunate that the acquittal should have come much before the final verdict in the case. The most significant aspect of the Chandrasekharan murder case was that it brought into sharp focus the political violence promoted by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]. Apart from the UDF, various constituents of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and a section in the CPI(M) came out against this. The Neyyatinkara by-election result was a reflection of the sentiments of the people against the cult of political violence.
Apart from the campaign against the cult of political violence, another significant aspect of the case was that it led to great hopes that all the accused in the murder case will be punished under the due process of law rather than on the basis of the list submitted by the CPI(M ) leadership.
Strong note
The investigation started off on a strong note, but came to a sudden stop after the arrest of P. Mohanan, Kozhikode district secretariat member of the CPI(M). The case was further weakened when several witnesses turned hostile.
It was clear that the witnesses were under pressure from the CPI(M) leadership and the police had failed in its responsibility to give protection to the witnesses.
In reply to a question, Mr. Muraleedharan said the strong reactions to the acquittal did not have anything to do with factional fights in the UDF. The immediate impact of the verdict was that it deprived the UDF of its platform against the CPI(M)’s cult of political violence.
