Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan has said the State government will take a final decision on ordering a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the murder of Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader T.P. Chandrasekharan at Onchiyam on May 4 only after getting legal opinions in the matter.
Addressing mediapersons here after a 45-minute meeting with K.K. Rema, wife of the slain leader, and her family members at her house on Monday, the Minister said the government would need to tread cautiously as the investigation had been completed by the State police and a charge sheet filed in court.
“The case has reached a particular stage. And the government has taken a stand on further investigation. But we will not take any decision that will weaken the existing case. However, the government will give top priority to the demand of Ms. Rema and her family considering its seriousness,” he said.
Replying to questions, Mr. Radhakrishnan said the special investigation team (SIT) led by Additional Director General of Police (Crimes) Vinson .M. Paul had successfully carried out the probe into the murder. “The government also appointed two special prosecutors, C.K. Sreedharan and P. Kumarankutty, to conduct the trial in the case. Apart from that, the government would take advice from legal experts from the High Court of Kerala,” he added.
When pointed out that the investigating officer K.V. Santhosh was assigned with the tanker blast case at Chala, Kannur, the Minister said the SIT had not been dispersed and that the conspiracy angle in the case was being looked into by the Crime Branch.
He shrugged off the statement of Union Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran that there was no need for a CBI probe into the incident.
Later, Ms. Rema said she was satisfied with the investigation carried out by the SIT, but she wanted the CBI to inquire into the larger conspiracy. However, any further investigation should not weaken the existing case, she said. The RMP leader N. Venu said the party was seeking legal opinion on a further probe into the conspiracy angle. The investigation should go to a higher level. That would be possible only through a CBI probe.
