Kerala BJP Worker Murder: Nine CPI(M) Members Convicted
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Synopsis
The Thalassery District Sessions Court in Kerala convicted nine CPI(M) members for the 2005 murder of BJP worker Suraj. The case highlighted political tensions and violence in the region, leading to justice being served after nearly 20 years.
Key Takeaways
- Nine CPI(M) members found guilty.
- Suraj was a BJP worker murdered in 2005.
- The murder case was prolonged for 20 years.
- Political tensions in Kannur remain significant.
- Justice delivered through legal advocacy.
Kannur, March 21 (NationPress) The Thalassery District Sessions Court in Kerala has found nine members of the CPI(M) guilty in the 2005 murder of Suraj, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker.
The heinous crime occurred on August 7, 2005, in Muzhappilangad, a village dominated by the Communist Party in Thalassery, near Kannur.
One of the convicted, Manoraj, is the sibling of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s press secretary, P.M. Manoj.
Out of the original twelve accused, two have died during the trial, and one was acquitted on Friday.
The nine convicts held a grudge against Suraj, who had departed from the CPI(M) in 2004 due to ideological differences and joined the BJP.
Suraj made a living as a three-wheeler driver. One day, a group of individuals hired his autorickshaw under the pretense of taking a trip, but they soon attacked him from behind.
Suraj survived that initial attack after spending several weeks in the hospital and months bedridden.
However, on the morning of August 7, 2005, he was ambushed again by a gang of nearly a dozen assailants. They detonated a country bomb to instill fear and scatter the bystanders before attacking him with knives and swords. After confirming his death, they fled the scene.
It was only after Suraj's mother petitioned the Kerala High Court that a special public prosecutor was appointed for the case. “Justice is served to Suraj after 20 years,” remarked the lawyer advocating for Suraj's family.
Notably, one of the accused, T.K. Rejeesh, is also implicated in the notorious T.P. Chandrasekheran murder case.
The widow of the former CPI(M) leader, Chandrasekheran, K.K. Rema, has become a first-time legislator after winning the 2021 Assembly elections from the Badagara Assembly constituency in Kozhikode district.
