Kerala Police arrests 2 ministers in relation with TP Chandrashekharan murder

The special investigation team of the Kerala Police has arrested two prominent CPM leaders in the TP Chandrashekharan murder case. CPM's Onchiyam area secretary CH Asokan and area committee member KK Krishnan are the leaders arrested and produced before the court in Vadakara on Thursday. The two were remanded to police custody for 14 days.

Asokan is former state general secretary of NGO Union. The police has so far nabbed 17 people in connection with the murder of Chandrasekharan, who formed the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) after his expulsion from CPM. Six of those arrested are CPM local workers.

The news of the arrest brought hundreds of CPM workers onto the streets of Vadakara. They staged a demonstration to protest against the arrest and later thronged the court premises until the two leaders were taken away by the police.

Minor incidents of violence against the crew of local television channels and an RMP worker were reported from the area following the arrest. CPM leaders like former industries minister Elamaram Kareem, Kozikode district secretary TP Ramakrishnan and M Pradeep Kumar also reached the Vadakara rural SP office on hearing the news of the arrest.

The two CPM leaders were arrested after the police questioned CPM Kunnummakkara local committee member KC Ramachandran. SIT zeroed in on the two leaders after learning from Ramachandran that they were involved in the conspiracy to kill Chandrashekharan. The police team has learnt that the conspiracy to kill Chandrasekharan was hatched two years ago.

Meanwhile, the CPM central leadership has made it clear that those found guilty in the crime would not continue in the party. At the same time, the central leadership pointed out that mere arrests do not prove they were guilty. It alleged that the United Democratic Front and the police were trying to put the responsibility of the crime on CPM.