Chandrabose, TP Chandrasekharan convicts on remission list

Thiruvananthapuram: The list of prisoners recommended by the Kerala prisons department for remission contained convicts in many sensational murders. They included the eleven sentenced for killing T. P. Chandrasekharan and businessman Mohammed Nisham undergoing a life sentence for killing security guard Chandrabose. They even recommended the key convicts in the Chandrasekharan murder case in gross violation of the condition that professional and hired murderers should be excluded.

A reply given by the department to a query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act confirms this. Governor P. Sathasivam had on February 15 returned a list of 1,850 sent by the government seeking more clarification. A cabinet sub-committee is now reviewing it. Sources at the Chief Minister's office said that from a list of 1859 prisoners shortlisted after official vetting, the Chief Minister had removed the names of nine, including Nisham and Om Prakash, as KAAPA was invoked against them.

Sources, however, declined to clarify whether the names of Chandrasekharan killers were removed from the list. The lifers in the RMP leader’s murder case are M. C. Anoop, Kirmani Manoj, Sunil Kumar alias Kodi Suni, T. K. Rajesh, Mohammed Shafi, Annan Shijith, Shinoj, K. C. Ramachandran, Manoj alias Trouser Manoj, P. K. Kunhanandan and Rafeeq. The other controversial person included Sherin, imprisoned for killing Karanavar, Om Prakash, sentenced for Aprani Krishnakumar murder, and Manichan who was sent to jail for life for hooch tragedy at Kalluvathukkal taking 33 lives. Meanwhile, allegations surfaced that a list prescribed by the previous UDF government also contained Chandrasekharan murder convicts Kunhanandan and Ramachandran as well as Bineesh (Kanichukulangara murder) and "godman" Santosh Madhavan.

Soon after it came to power, the LDF government asked the prison department on July 27, 2016, to give a proposal on remission in connection with Kerala Piravi day by considering the norms followed in the previous years. Based on this, director general of prisons submitted a list of 2,262 on October 17, 2016. Subsequently, the government constituted a three-member committee of officials headed by an additional secretary of the home department. The panel finalised a list of 1,850, and the government sent it to the Governor.

Government sources declined to reveal whether the controversial persons were on this list of 1850. ADGP (prisons) R. Sreelekha said the list was prepared following norms as per a direction of the government. “Even if the government approves the recommendation of the prison department, only a maximum of 100 prisoners would get the benefit of getting released in the next one year. It would not include any of the controversial persons,” she said. The department sources also said that as per Supreme Court directives, the total remission for a person should not exceed one-third of the total sentence awarded to him.