CBI chargesheets 27 in Kerala BMS leader's murder case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday filed a charge sheet against 27 people, including people associated with the Communist Party Of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in Kerala in the 2012 murder case of a Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) leader, the labour wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

The CBI filed a charge sheet before the CJM court here against 27 accused including members of the CPI-M, trade union, gang members from Payyoli Muchukunnu and Vatakara areas in Kerala alleging conspiracy, house trespass, attacking with deadly weapons, murder under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure.

According to the CBI, the charge sheet mentions about 130 witnesses, 112 documents and the weapons used in the assault.

It said that departmental action was also recommended against a then Inspector of Police and a then Deputy SP of Kerala Police.

The CBI registered the case on March 29, 2016 on the orders of the Kerala High Court.

It was alleged that Manoj C.T., an auto driver and union leader of Koilandi and a member of the BMS, who contested the panchayat election in 2011, was allegedly attacked by CPI-M workers on the night of February 12, 2012 in retaliation for an attack on one of their members, which took place four days prior to the incident.

According to the CBI, CPI-M party worker Kuriyad Babu was attacked on February 9, 2012.

In the attack, Manoj suffered severe injuries and died next morning in the hospital.

The police registered a case and filed a charge sheet against 15 accused in May 2012.

The agency said that during investigation, it arrested 10 persons including leaders of the CPI-M for their alleged involvement in the murder case.

The agency said that it has named Biju, Sajith.K.T, Nizam, Sanooj.V.P, Sanoop.P, Nidheesh, Priyesh.C.T, Sumesh.K.V, Suneesh.K, Akhilnath, Ramsheed, Akhil, Unnikrishnan, T Chandu, P V Ramchandran, P K Kumaran, N C Mustafa, K T Ligesh, C Suresh Babu, Anoop, Arunnath, K V Ratheesh, Preman K.K, P K Valsan, Gharesh A T, Sanuraj K K, and Vipin Das, all residents of Kozhikode district in the state under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

( With inputs from IANS )