The chief examination and cross-examination of K.K. Rema, wife of the slain Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader T.P. Chandrasekharan, concluded at the Special Additional District and Sessions Court (Marad Cases), on Tuesday. Chandrasekharan was hacked to death at Vallikkad at Onchiyam on May 4, 2012.
Her deposition and cross-examination in connection with the trial began on Monday. A re-examination by special prosecutor C.K. Sreedharan was also carried out on Tuesday. Ms. Rema was examined as the fifth prosecution witness.
Deposing before special judge R. Narayana Pisharadi, she said that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) had unleashed violence against RMP activists on Nadapuram road on February 19, 2012. The attack was led by Padayankandi Ravindran alias M.K. Ravindran, a member of Orakkatteri local committee of the CPI (M). She was also a participant in the RMP rally then, Ms. Rema said. During the cross-examination, Ms. Rema said the RMP activists were taking out a procession on the road and they had not disturbed a meeting of the CPI (M) in the junction.
On another occasion, she said that C.H. Ashokan, secretary of the Onchiyam area committee; K.K. Krishnan, member, Onchiyam area committee; and K.C. Ramachandran, member of the Kunnummakkara local committee, had led a rally in front of her house shouting slogans, “Chandrashekara… you will find yourself clothed in white, ” indicating he will be killed.
Making some points which she had omitted during the examination on Monday, Ms. Rema said that the police had not registered any cases when CPI (M) workers attacked RMP activists during the rule of Left Democratic Front government. At that time, CPI (M) leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan handled the Home portfolio, she said.
She also denied allegations that the visit of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy; KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala; and Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan had made her level charges against the CPI (M). Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan; CPI State secretary Pannian Ravindran; CPI leaders Kanam Rajendran and Benoy Viswom; legislator E.S. Bijimol; and writer Mahasweta Devi had also visited and consoled her.
Meanwhile the prosecution has decided not to examine V. Abhinand alias Nandu, 17, son of Chandrasekharan; K.K. Madhavan, 75, father of Rema; Suresh Babu, brother of Chandrasekharan; V. Chandran, sixth witness; and V. Ranjith, seventh witness. This was because the prosecution had already obtained enough evidence to prove that the killing of Chandrasekharan was politically motivated.
The deposition of N. Venu, RMP leader and K. Achuthan, a tailor at Kunnummakkara, will be on Wednesday. Achuthan had alleged that he had heard Krishnan, an accused, threaten at a public meeting of the CPI (M) that Chandrasekharan’s head and brain would be found strewn like a coconut flower on the road.
