Jossy Cherian, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy. SP), Vadakara, who was a member of the special police team that probed the murder of Revolutionary Marxist Party leader T.P. Chandrasekharan, told the trial court here on Friday that three key witnesses, who had turned hostile during the trial, had earlier given statements to him pinpointing the role of some accused.
He was deposing before R. Narayana Pisharadi, judge, Special Additional District and Sessions Court (Marad Cases). Chandrasekharan was killed allegedly by a hired gang at Vallikkad around 10.15 p.m. on May 4, 2012.
Mr. Cherian said he had recorded the statements of Anshith Narayanan and K.K. Subin of Azhiyoor and P. Ajith of Paral during different stages of the investigation. Both Anshith and Subin had also previously given a statement to the Nadapuram First Class Judicial Magistrate Subramanian Namboothiri under Section 164 (recording of confessions and statements) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. All three retracted the statements later.
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Anshith had stated that he had seen first accused M.C. Anoop and fourth accused T.K. Rajeesh in the Toyota Innova MUV when he was proceeding to the house of Thasma Breeze Company manager at 8.30 p.m. on May 2, 2012. The 28th accused, P.M. Ramesh aka Kuttu, and the 29th accused K.P. Dipin aka Kuttan, had been with Anshith at that time. He had also said that he had seen third accused N.K. Sunil Kumar aka Kodi Suni and others loading weapons into the vehicle and that Dipin had told him that these swords were meant for Chandrasekharan.
Later, Dipin had concealed the sack containing the weapons in an unoccupied house. The sack had been shifted in the morning the next day.
Subin had also given a similar statement to him regarding the roles of Anoop and Rajeesh, besides Dipin, Ramesh, and Kodi Suni.
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Mr. Cherian said another witness, Ajith, a school teacher with Manancheri U.P. School and an activist of Kerala School Teachers’ Association, during interrogation, had said that the 25th accused, C.K. Rajikanth, had attended a blood-group identification camp conducted by the Friends Arts and Sports club, Kallilthazha, near Chokli. This was after the police recovered a receipt of this programme from the Toyota vehicle.