UDF alleges remission move in RMP leader murder case

Congress-led UDF today accused the LDF government in Kerala of planning to grant remission to a CPI(M) leader, serving a life term in the sensational murder of a rebel Marxist leader, a charge rejected by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Raising the issue in the state assembly, the opposition alleged the government had sanctioned 211 days of parole in the last nine months to P K Kunjananthan, the 13th accused in the case related to murder of RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan.

The government was now trying to give him remission citing his old age, it charged.

The UDF said it would pursue legal course if the government went ahead with its 'move' violating Constitutional provisions and earlier court verdicts in similar cases.

Chandrasekharan, a CPI(M) rebel who floated the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP), was hacked to death in May 2012 near his hometown Onjiyam in Kozhikode district. Several of the accused in the case were local CPI(M) workers, besides goons hired to execute the murder.

Vijayan, in his brief reply, denied the charge and said the opposition was making "unnecessary allegations". The issue would be relevant only if such a remission was granted.

"The government has not given direction to award remission of sentence to any prisoner. The remission will not be awarded to any prisoner without considering all relevant legal aspects," he added.

He also said there was no government or political level intervention in granting parole to prisoners.

Seeking to table a notice for an adjournment motion, Sunny Joseph (Congress) said appeals seeking more stringent punishment to the accused in the case were pending before the Kerala High Court and the government could not grant remission to them in such a circumstance.

Kunjananthan, a senior CPI(M) leader, was a 'close friend' of the Chief Minister, he alleged.

Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the Chief Minister was trying to trivialise the issue by giving a brief reply.

"Even after he was jailed, the CPI(M) has given Kunjananthan several key party posts. He also took part in various party programmes during the time of paroles violating norms," Chennithala charged.

He also alleged that besides Kunjananthan, all the accused in the cruel political murder case were given 'wellness treatment' inside the prison by the LDF government.

The opposition later staged a walkout as Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan disallowed the motion.