Ramabhadran murder: Court denies bail for CPM-DYFI men

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A local court here on Thursday denied bail to the three CPM-DYFI activists, including a personal staffer of fisheries minister J. Mercy Kutty Amma, who were arrested for the murder of Congress activist Ramabhadran of Anchal. CPM Kollam district committee member K. Babu Panicker, DYFI leader and minister’s personal staff member Maxon and DYFI local leader of Punalur Riyaz were denied bail by the chief judicial magistrate court. The CBI maintained that if they were granted bail, they may try to destroy evidence and it could affect the probe into the murder case.

The roles of the accused in the conspiracy and execution of the murder were strongly suspected, CBI counsel told the court. The CBI is likely to file an application seeking custody of the accused on Friday. Meanwhile, a confidential statement given by the third accused in the case, DYFI leader Afsal, before a Punalur court earlier stated that Ramabhadran was murdered in retaliation. Ramabhadran had helped those held for the attack on a DYFI local leader to secure bail. A retaliation over this ended up in the murder, said the statement that was accessed by a section of media on Thursday. This had put the CPM in further on the backfoot as the CPM leadership was maintaining that the CBI was falsely framing party members.