Kannur CPM leader masterminded murder of RSS man: CBI chargesheet

Kathiroor Manoj, a prominent RSS leader was hacked to death in 2014

The Central Bureau of Investigation probing the murder of RSS leader Kathiroor Manoj has named Kannur CPM leader as the mastermind. A supplementary charge sheet naming the CPM's Kannur district secretary P Jayarajan was submitted at the Thalassery CBI court on Thursday.

The CBI in its chargesheet has said that CPM leader P Jayarajan planned the attack on RSS leader Kathiroor Manoj in 2014. Jayarajan has been charged under section 18 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for conspiracy. Other CPM leaders like former Payyanur CPM area secretary T A Madhusoodanan, Rejilesh, Shajilesh and Mahesh have also been named as accused in the case for aiding assailants.

25 people have been made accused among them, Jayarajan has been named the mastermind. He was arrested in February 2016 but walked out of jail on a bail in March the same year. The CBI has also stated that political vendetta was the reason behind the murder but adds that Jayarajan had personal vengeance against Manoj over a 1999 attack on him.

In September 2014, Manoj, an RSS leader from Kannur was hacked to death. A bomb was hurled at a vehicle that he was travelling in. He was then dragged out of the vehicle and hacked to death. Manoj was instrumental in organising an event where 500 people from the CPM committed to join the BJP enraging the left party cadres. In an earlier chargesheet submitted before the same court in 2016, the CBI had named Jayarajan as the 25th accused. On Thursday, however, he has been named the key conspirator.

The deceased, Manoj, was an accused in a 1999 assault case on Jayarajan. Manoj was accused of breaking into Jayarajan's house to assault him. The CBI in its supplementary chargesheet has said that Jayarajan assembled a gang of assailants and instructed them to carry out an attack on Manoj.

OneIndia News