Kerala’s Congress-led UDF Government has decided to recommend a CBI investigation into the murder of RSS leader Manoj at Kathiroor in Kannur allegedly by a CPI(M) killer gang on September 1. Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that the Government took the decision considering the extremely serious dimensions of the case.
The Government decision was based on the recommendation of the State DGP, Chennithala said in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. “The Government does not have any particular political interest in this and the decision was not taken under pressure from any quarters,” he said. The State BJP welcomed the Government decision.
Police had charged the eight accused in the murder case under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and as per its provisions, the matter had to be reported to the Centre within 15 days, the Minister said. “It is the Centre which has to take a final decision on which the agency should carry out the probe,” he pointed out.
A delegation of the BJP and RSS had on Thursday submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy calling for a probe by a Central agency into the murder. A special team of the Kerala Police’s Crime Branch is currently holding the investigation. “The gang had murdered Manoj after creating a terror situation on the crime spot by hurling country bombs and they had killed him by slitting the throat.”
“No murder of such brutality has taken place in Kerala since the killing of (rebel Marxist leader) TP Chandrasekharan (on May 4, 2012),” Chennithala said.
“The accused in the Kathiroor murder case have connections outside the State. There is every possibility that they have connections outside the country also. The murder could have shattered the peace prevailing in Kannur. Also, the possibility of a conspiracy behind the murder cannot be ruled out,” the Home Minister said. “The DGP had recommended a CBI probe into the incident considering all these aspects. The Government has approved that recommendation,” Chennithala said.
The killers had first hurled country bombs at the vehicle in which Manoj (42) and his friends were travelling. When the vehicle stopped after hitting an electric pole, they pounced on him with swords and other weapons and brutally hacked him. Manoj died on the way to the hospital while his friend Pramod (50) was hospitalized with serious hack wounds.
Eight CPI(M) activists have been booked for the murder and the police had the other day issued a lookout notice for the first accused, Vikraman. The police have also registered a case against Jain Raj, son of CPI(M)’s Kannur district secretary P Jayarajan, for posting a message in Facebook expressing happiness over the murder.
Congratulating his “dear comrades” on the inhuman act, Jain Raj, presently in the Gulf, had written in his Facebook page, “How long have I been waiting to hear this happy news!” After the post triggered a controversy, he withdrew it but made another post justifying the happiness he expressed over the murder.