Almost all political parties in Kerala have welcomed the CBI’s new stand that it is ready to probe the alleged larger conspiracy and extremist connections behind the 2003 massacre at Marad, a fishing hamlet in Kerala’s Kozhikode district, in which eight Hindus were hacked to death. This is the first time the CBI has expressed readiness to hold a probe into the massacre.
In an affidavit submitted in the High Court over a petition filed by Kolakkadan Moosa Haji, a native of Kozhikode, seeking a CBI probe into the massacre, the agency said it had no objection in taking up the probe if the court directed so as the Marad Judicial Commission of Inquiry had suspected larger conspiracy involving the issue of national security behind the incident.
The CBI’s new stand has created a feeling that the 13-year-long demand of the BJP and several Hindu outfits for such a probe may soon come to fruition. Though the 2006-11 lDF Government had recommended a CBI probe into the incident, the then UPA regime at the Centre had not cleared it saying that the Home Department had not granted permission.
However, there were allegations that a CBI probe was not instituted at that time because of the pressure exerted by the Congress’s ally, Muslim league. There were reports that certain Muslim league leaders had prior knowledge about the plan for the riot. The CBI may take up the investigation once the High Court issues a directive in this regard.
In a nightly attack on May 2, 2003, eight Hindu fishermen were hacked to death at Marad. A Muslim also had lost life in the incident. The incident, known now as Marad II riots, was described as a ‘retaliation’ over the riots that took place on January 2-3, 2002 in which five persons were killed, which came to be known as Marad I riots.
“let us hope that the families of the poor fishermen killed in that massacre are going to get justice due to the CBI’s new decision,” said Kerala BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan while senior party leader K Surendran said, “This delay might have been caused by pressures exerted by the Muslim league and the peculiar stand taken by the then UPA regime.”
“It should be examined why the CBI has had a change of mind now,” said State CPI(M) secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan while welcoming the CBI’s offer. “Such a probe is the need of the time. We welcome that. let the court decide on that,” said senior Muslim league leader PK Kunhalikutty.
“let there be a probe and let it progress on the right path. We welcome the move,” said Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala of the Congress but UDF sources feared that such an investigation by the CBI when the NDA was in power at the Centre might effectively lead to political score-settling.
The Justice Thomas P Joseph Judicial Commission which looked into the massacre had in its report to the Government aired the suspicion that there had been a larger conspiracy behind the incident and had recommended that this aspect should be probed by a Central agency. Moosa Haji had filed his petition on the basis of this recommendation.
However, the CBI disagreed with the petition saying that an investigation had already been held by an Inspector General of the Kerala Police. The CBI’s change of mind has come after CM Pradeep Kumar, former Superintendent of Police (now retired), who had taken up the probe into massacre in June, 2010 on the basis of the commission’s report, impleaded in the case.
In an affidavit filed in the court, Pradeep Kumar said that he had collected evidences which suggested that an extensive network with global links could have been behind the Marad massacre and therefore a detailed probe should be held by a special team that included officials from agencies like the Intelligence Bureau, CBI and the DRI.
