Kerala RSS leader murder: TP-model SIT to probe murder

Kozhikode: The Crime Branch  hurt and homicide wing constituted a Special Investigation Team with four DySPs and two circle inspectors  to probe the murder of RSS Kannur district shikshak pramukh Elamthottathil Manoj.  The team will have its first meeting on Thursday.

Briefing reporters here,  ADGP S. Ananthakrishnan, who is monitoring the investigation, said on Wednesday that Crime branch DySP KV Santhoshkumar, Kozhikode north assistant commissioner Jossy Cheriyan and  DySP M.J. Sojan, who played a key role in the TP murder investigation, and  Taliparamba DySP K.S. Sudarsan are  in the team. Mr Sojan and Mr Santhoshkumar had been threatened by CPM leaders for their active role in the TP murder investigation. DySP A.P. Shoukkathali is not included in the team as he is on deputation in the National Investigation Agency.  Thalassery Additional Superintendent of Police T. Narayanan would assist the team from outside.

“A special camp office would be opened at Thalassery for the purpose,”  he said and added  that Crime Branch SP (hurt and homicide) N. Ramachandran would monitor the investigation whereas Mr Santhoshkumar  will be the investigation officer. Mr Ananthakrishnan also met ADGP (north) N. Shanker Reddy and discussed the investigation already conducted by the local police.
Earlier, Mr  Ananthakrishnan also visited the spot where Manoj was hacked down by the assassins.

Congress leader K. Sudhakaran  said that the role of CPM Kannur district secretary P. Jayarajan in the murder should be investigated. “I have information that a conspiracy was hatched by a few close to Jayarajan in a bar hotel at Mahe,”  he said and added  that the relationship of Vikraman, accused in the murder,  with the family of Jayarajan should be investigated. I will not give  the names of those who participated in the conspiracy but am ready to hand over the details to the police,”  he  said.

However,  the BJP state leadership is not at all happy with the new team as it believes that the investigation will not be effective as it is being led by an official who is nearing the fag end of his service.  BJP state president V. Muraleedharan told Deccan Chronicle that the state leadership would meet Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Thursday in Thiruvananthapuram demanding a CBI probe. “We are not confident that the police team would be able to arrest those who hatched the conspiracy as in the case of TP murder in which the conspirators went scot-free,”  Mr Muraleedharan said.