CPI-M leader remanded in judicial custody

A court here on Friday remanded CPI-M leader P. Jayarajan, an accused in the murder of RSS activist E. Manoj, in judicial custody for a month.

The Kerala High Court had on Thursday rejected Jayarajan's anticipatory bail plea.

The CBI, which is investigating Manoj's murder, named Jayarajan as an accused. He was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, making it difficult for him to get anticipatory bail.

Just before presenting himself in the Tellichery court, Jayarajan, 63, told reporters that the "false case" was an outcome of a tacit understanding between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

"The game-plan behind foisting this false case on me is to try to finish off the CPI-M in Kannur," said Jayarajan, who was driven to the court in an ambulance.

Jayarajan is a former legislator of the Communist Party of India-Marxist and a former secretary of the Kannur district of the party.

Manoj was attacked by a seven-member gang on September 1, 2014 here. The assailants threw a bomb on his vehicle and later hacked him to death.

The CBI has arrested 23 people for the murder.

This is the second setback for Jayarajan and the CPI-M.

Earlier this week, the high court had ordered a CBI probe into the murder of Abdul Shukoor, an activist of the Indian Union Muslim League, in which case too Jayarajan is an accused.