Kerala leader denied anticipatory bail in murder case

A court near here on Tuesday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of senior Kerala CPI-M leader P. Jayarajan in the Kathirur Manoj murder case.

Manoj, one of those accused of making an unsuccessful bid on Jayarajan's life in 1999, was attacked by a seven-member gang on September 1, 2014, in Kathirur near Kannur. The assailants first threw a bomb on the RSS activist's vehicle and later hacked him to death.

Jayarajan, 63, a former legislator, was asked to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) early this month. He had moved an anticipatory bail plea in the court.

CBI counsel opposed the leader's plea on the ground that it could not be granted since the case was registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and it was accepted by the Tellichery district sessions court.

Jayarajan's anticipatory bail petition was rejected last year as well.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist leader was questioned for over four hours by the CBI last year in the state capital in the case but let off.

The central agency has so far arrested 23 people in this case.

Jayarajan is currently on bail in another murder case.