CBI files chargesheet against 27 in murder of Kerala union leader

NEW DELHI: The CBI has filed a chargesheet against 27 people, including people associated with the Community Party of India (M) in Kerala, in connection with the murder of a Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) leader in 2012, officials here said on Thursday. BMS is the labour wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

They added that the chargesheet has been filed against the 27 accused on the basis of statements of 130 witnesses, 112 documents and the weapons used in the assault. The CBI has charged the accused with conspiracy, house trespassing, attacking with deadly weapons, murder and other sections of the Indian Penal Code. The CBI'S chargesheet also recommends action against a then Inspector and Deputy SP of the Kerala Police.

The CBI had taken over the murder case in March 2016 after the Kerala High Court had asked local police to hand over the probe to the central agency. 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, and in the retaliation attack, Manoj suffered severe injuries, to which he succumbed the next morning in the hospital.

The police had registered a case and filed a chargesheet against 15 accused in May 2012. The agency said that during the probe, it had arrested 10 people including leaders of the CPI-M for their alleged involvement in the murder case.