Kochi: A court in Kannur in Kerala on Monday sentenced eight CPM leaders including Kerala Chief Minister’s press secretary’s brother to life imprisonment for murdering a BJP worker K Suraj, 32, murder on August, 7, 2005.
The Thalassery Principal Sessions convicted Manoraj, T K Rajeesh, N V Yogesh, K Shamjit, Manoraj, Sajeevan, Prabhakaran, K V Padmanabhan, Radhakrishnan to life term.
Manoraj is Kerala Chief Minister’s press secretary P M Manoj’s brother. T K Rajeesh, is a convict in the murder of Leftist leader T P Chandrasekharan who too was killed for leaving CPM and floating his own party.
One convict was sentenced to three years for abetting crime by sheltering the accused. The tenth accused was acquitted due to lack of evidence. The pronouncement of the verdict brings to an end 20-year legal battle. Two accused, P K Shamsudheen and T P Raveendran, died during the trial.
Suraj was hacked to death in front of the Muzhappilangad telephone exchange on August 7, 2005. Six months earlier, an attempt was on his life, inflicting injuries on him.
According to the prosecution Suraj was murdered for leaving CPI(M) and joining the BJP.
8 cpm workers get life term
