No conspiracy involving CPI(M) leaders in Periye murder: SIT

Source: thehindu.com

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder of two youth Congress workers at Periye in Kasaragod informed the Kerala High Court on Monday that there was no larger conspiracy involving the leadership of the CPI(M) in the case.

In a petition seeking a CBI probe into the case, the parents of slain workers, Kripesh and Sarathlal, had alleged that the murders were the result of a conspiracy hatched by the CPI(M) top leaders.

Denies charges

The SIT also denied the allegation that external forces had interfered in the investigation in the case. The team had found that there were 10 conspirators and the first accused Peethambaran was the kingpin.

The investigation found that there were no records relating to any forceful rescuing of second accused Saji C. George by the former CPI(M) MLA K.V. Kunhiraman from the police custody. Even the presence of the former MLA was not mentioned anywhere in the case file. The speech delivered by CPI(M) leader V.P.P. Musthafa at Kalliyot prior to the incident did not contain any threat against the deceased. It was only a political speech. The parents of the slain Congress workers had alleged that the speech indicated that the CPI(M) district-level leadership had enmity towards Congressmen at Kalliyot. However, there was nothing to connect Mustafa with the crime.

The weapons used by the accused had been recovered. The allegation that there was non-compliance of the mandatory procedures in effecting the recovery of weapons were not true, according to an additional affidavit filed by the SIT before the High Court

The investigating agency had no politics. Nor had it any leaning towards any party. As the SIT had conducted the investigation effectively and the accused were arrested, there was no necessity to hand over the investigation to the CBI or any other agency, it said.