Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala authorities launched a police investigation to determine the source of a leak concerning the remission of three CPI-M workers convicted for the 2012 murder of Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader T.P. Chandrasekharan.

The probe will examine whether the information was leaked from the police department or the jail administration. The controversy erupted when it was revealed that TK Rejeesh, Mohammed Shafi, and Annan Sreejith were listed for potential remission under new guidelines set to take effect on Independence Day.

The news caused a stir in and outside the Assembly. K.K. Rema, Chandrasekharan’s widow, criticized CM Pinarayi Vijayan and the CPI-M for allegedly attempting to secure the release of the convicted workers, suggesting they fear the workers might reveal details about the murder’s conspiracy.

In response to the media uproar, Vijayan and CPI-M leaders claimed ignorance of the details and suspended three jail officials responsible for preparing the remission list. Chandrasekharan, who founded the RMP after leaving CPI-M in 2008, was murdered on May 4, 2012, near Kozhikode. A court sentenced 11 people, including three mid-level CPI-M leaders, to life imprisonment for the crime.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, K.K. Rema won the Vadakara seat with the backing of the Congress-led UDF, despite CPI-M’s efforts to defeat her.