Politburo wary of CBI probe

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The CPM politburo on Sunday opposed the demand to hand over the TPC murder probe to the CBI, a request made by TPC’s wife K.K. Rema that has been backed by Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan.

The decision comes after another politburo member Sitaram Yechuri said that the party welcomed any probe. Senior state party leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan too had favoured “any probe.”

CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said in New Delhi on Sunday that the UDF government was trying to implicate several party leaders in murder cases. More than 70 party workers, including the Kannur district party secretary, were “falsely” accused in three murder cases.

According to party insiders, the decision followed pressure from the state committee. Two days ago, Yechury said the party welcomed any probe, adding, “The party is not scared of any probe as we don’t have any role in it (TPC murder).”

CBI unlikely to take up TPC murder probe

As the Special Investigation Team (SIT) did a commendable work in probing the T.P. Chandrasekharan murder, the CBI may think twice before taking up the probe. The state government is inclined to hand over the probe to the CBI, following a plea from the slain leader’s followers.

Police sources here have told DC that once the state government recommends such a probe, the CBI will conduct a preliminary assessment of the case to ascertain whether there is scope for further probe. Since there is only very little scope in proving the conspiracy part, the CBI might have second thoughts before taking over the case, unless there is pressure from the political leadership, the sources said.

For instance, the CBI did not take up the probe into the Marad case even after the previous LDF government’s repeated recommendations. Similarly, the CBI initially refused to take up the Valakom teacher attack case, and later took it up only after strong pressure from the government. Nothing has come out of that probe, yet.

“What remains to be probed in the TPC murder case is the conspiracy angle. However, in a case involving hard-core CPM leaders, it would be quite impossible to prove the conspiracy angle as no one would normally turn approver,” said a senior police officer.