Not a political kiling: CPM

KOCHI: It seems the CPM, caught up in allegations of annihilating its political foes, is hell-bent on convincing others that the party’s hands are clean. On Tuesday, two of the party leaders, accused in the 2006 Thalassery Fasal murder, submitted before the Kerala High Court that there had been no enmity between Fasal, an NDF worker, and the party. “The 2006 Thalassery Fasal murder was not a political killing. Fasal was never a party (CPM) worker. He never resigned from the party nor was he an active member of the NDF; hence there was no enmity between him and the party,” said counsel advocate M K Damodaran of Kannur district secretariat member Karayil Rajan of Kadiroor and Thiruvangad local committee secretary Karayil Chandrashekharan, the two accused in the case. Fasal of Madapedika in Kodiyeri was murdered on October 22, 2006, allegedly by a group of CPM sympathisers, within days of his defecting from the CPM to the NDF.The CBI had earlier submitted that the two leaders were involved in the murder and that they had entered into a criminal conspiracy to kill Fasal on account of political vendetta. The CBI had submitted that the CPM leadership was worried as Fasal was luring youngsters to leave the CPM and join the NDF. Fasal had also convened a meeting of the NDF members at Madapedika area, a strong-hold of the CPM, the CBI pointed out. However the CPM leaders denied the allegations and said that they had no knowledge about the incident. “Even prior to getting any evidence, the CBI has fixed the leaders as accused in the case and is trying to create false evidence,” they said. The petitioners also accused the conduct of the CBI during the pendency of their bail application. The CBI had intentionaly delayed the filing of the affidavit, they said. “The CBI’s intention of seeking adjournment under the guise of filing a counterclaim was to avoid the judge and such an attempt is nothing but forum shopping,” the statement added.