Kerala: SIT shakes CPM, arrests two leaders

KOZHIKODE:  Putting the CPM clearly on the defensive,  two leaders, including a  district committee member, were arrested in connection with the TP Chandrasekharan murder case on Thursday.   
CPM   Kozhikode district committee member and Onchiyam area committee secretary C H Asokan, 60, of  Choottaparmbathu, Onchiyam, was arrested along with  Onchiyam area committee member K K Krishnan, 60,  of Kalathikandi, Kunnummakkara, by the Special Investigation Team, provoking angry protest by the CPM men in Vadakara.
The duo was arrested  under Section 118 (concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life) of IPC, which is non-bailable. The arrest was registered after calling them for interrogation at Vadakara DySP office on Wednesday. Later, they were produced before the Vadakara Judicial First Class Magistrate M Shuhaib at 9.45 am on Thursday and  remanded in police custody for 14 days.
Ignoring the hartal, hundreds of party workers gathered in front of the court  hearing the news of the arrest. Alleging that police were fabricating fake cases against party leaders, the CPM took out a march at Vadakara. CPM leaders T P Ramakrishnan, K K Lathika MLA and P Sathidevi participated in the march. Irate party workers also pelted stones on Vadakara police station building.
With the arrest, the SIT has given clear indications that the probe is focusing on top CPM leaders  involved in hatching the conspiracy. The links of  Asokan and Krishnan in the conspiracy and their help in providing shelter for some accused were revealed after questioning K C Ramachandran, CPM Kunnummakkara local committee member, who was arrested earlier in the case.

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