Legal and political circles in the State are keenly awaiting the Union government’s choice of agency to probe the murder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary E. Manoj. The State government had sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the murder and the special investigation team had invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to pave the way for the entry of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the case. Now, the Centre has to choose between the NIA and the CBI. The State government has, as per the NIA Act, sent to the Centre a report based on the District Police Chief’s report citing grounds for invoking UAPA Section 15 against the culprits. The offence under this section is among the scheduled offences under the NIA Act. Under Section 6 of the Act, the Central government has to decide, within 15 days after the receipt of the report, whether the case is fit for the NIA probe.
There is an air of anxiety in the political circles here, especially the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Sangh Parivar. If the Centre favours a CBI probe, it will have to say in its mandatory reply to the State government that the case does not come under the scheduled offence and hence, is not fit for the NIA probe. Political and legal circles here say that such a stand will endorse the position of the CPI(M) district leadership.
CPI(M) district secretary P. Jayarajan has rubbished the invocation of the UAPA, stating that the murder of the RSS worker at Kathirur on September 1 is not fit for being charged under it.
BJP sources here say that if the Centre takes such a stand it will be an embarrassment for the State party leadership. There is also the question of the CBI agreeing for a probe in a case found to be unfit for NIA investigation. Legal sources say that the State government’s hasty announcement of its consent for the CBI probe created an unnecessary conundrum on the issue.
Published - September 09, 2014 03:00 pm IST
