RMP opts to take the wait-and-watch path

Demand for CBI probe in TP murder case

The Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) has decided to adopt a wait-and-watch policy till the next government assumes office at the Centre over the issue of seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the ‘conspiracy’ behind the killing of T.P. Chandrasekharan.

A fortnight before the Lok Sabha polls, the CBI had turned down the request of the State government stating that the case was not worthy to be probed by a national agency. Even now, an uncertainty prevailed although Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala had said that the government would write to the CBI a second time.

The RMP leadership felt that the CBI would possibly change its stance with a change of guard at the Centre, particularly when there was a view that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was on the cusp of becoming the Prime Minister.

During an election campaign in Thiruvananthapuram in March, Mr. Modi had flayed both the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) for their ‘politics of adjustment’ on the CBI probe. Such an adjustment had compelled the slain RMP leader’s wife, K.K. Rema, to go on an indefinite hunger strike demanding a CBI probe, Mr. Modi had said.

SIT investigation

As of now, a special investigation team led by Additional Director General of Police (North Zone) N. Shanker Reddy was probing the case registered at the Edacherry police station on the basis of a complaint by Ms. Rema that senior CPI(M) leaders had prior knowledge that Chandrasekharan would be killed. It was the special team that had recommended a CBI probe after investigators obtained more evidence regarding the conspiracy into the killing on May 4, 2012.

Speaking to The Hindu here on Tuesday, Ms. Rema said the RMP leadership had previously decided to request the High Court to order a CBI probe. “Now, we have second thoughts on approaching the High Court. We do not want to hastily proceed in the case. Suppose the High Court rejects our petition, we may have to subsequently approach the Supreme Court,” she said.

Legal opinion

Ms. Rema said that she planned to seek legal opinion. “Maybe we will wait till the next government is formed,” she said.

The RMP leadership had termed the CBI’s refusal to look into the case as ‘illogical’ as the special team had secured fresh evidence linking some of the accused with ‘international smugglers.’

The government had cited Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan’s letter to drum up support for a CBI probe. CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan had said the CBI would be unable to do anything under the law to ‘probe what had already been probed.’ Mr. Achuthanandan’s volte-face on the issue before the Lok Sabha polls seemed to have harden the stance of the RMP.