Businessman remanded to CBI custody

The Chief Judicial Magistrate court here today remanded businessman V M Radhakrishnan to CBI custody for three days in connection with the suicide case of former Malabar Cements Company secretary V Saseendran and his two children.
Radhakrishnan, a contractor who had been working for public sector Malabar Cements, was arrested from Palakkad by a CBI team yesterday.
He has been charged with abetting the suicide of Saseendran and two children, whose bodies were found in their house on January 24, 2011.
The CBI in its remand report submitted in the court pointed out that Radhakrishnan had played an instrumental role in the events that led to the suicide of Sassendran and his children.

The agency contended that Radhakrishnan threatened Saseendran several times following the latter's refusal to take a favourable stand in a vigilance case against him.
Investigation and the arrest were based on the statement of Saseendran's wife that her husband had been under severe pressure to suppress corruption and irregularities in the company.
The death of Saseendran and his children had sparked public outrage with political leaders alleging that the company official was the victim of harassment after he refused to hide some of the corrupt deals involving contractors with "high connections."
Radhakrishnan would be in CBI custody till March 23.