The Alappuzha District and Sessions Court on Thursday acquitted all five accused in the case related to the attack on the memorial of P. Krishna Pillai, founder-leader of the Communist movement in Kerala.
Judge A. Badharudeen absolved Latheesh B. Chandran, P. Sabu, Deepu, Rajesh and Pramod, all five CPI (M) activists, as the prosecution failed to prove their involvement.
The hut at Kannarkatu in Alappuzha, where Krishna Pillai breathed his last following a snake bite on August 19, 1948, while in hiding, was set ablaze in the early hours of October 31, 2013. Miscreants had also defaced Krishna Pillai’s bust erected in the courtyard. The incident led to a war of words between the leaders of the Left and the Congress.
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The case was initially investigated by the local police, but later handed over to the Crime Branch. The prosecution case was that factional feud in the CPI (M) led to the attack on the memorial.
The CPI (M) had ousted Mr. Latheesh, a former personnel staff of former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, Mr. Sabu, former secretary, CPI (M) Kannarkatu local committee, Mr. Deepu, Mr. Rajesh and Mr. Pramod from the party after being named as accused in the case.
Responding to the verdict, Mr. Latheesh and Mr. Sabu said that they would file a complaint to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan demanding to find the real culprits in the case. They also said that a letter would be given to the CPI (M) leadership demanding their re-induction into the party.
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