2 more held for TP murder

KOZHIKODE: A former MLA and CPM state leader of Kannur  is suspected to be involved in the murder of RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan as per the leads obtained by the Special Investigation Team which on Thursday arrested  two more persons, including a CPM branch committee member of Kannur. The arrested are Manoj alias Trouser, 47, of Vadakkayil, Kuunothuparambu in Kannur, who is also branch secretary of CPM, and Sanoj, 32 of Kizhakkayil, Patyam.Sources said the increasing support earned by the Communist alternative projected by Chandrasekharan even in the CPM strongholds in Kannur, especially those regions adjacent to Onchiyam, Orkkatery and Eramala panchayats, appears to be the main motive for the murder.Police doubt that the personal enmity of certain CPM leaders in Kannur for the major setback suffered by the party in the last Lok Sabha elections is also behind the incident.Police said it was Manoj, who had acted as the middleman and introduced gang leader Sunil Kumar alias Kodi to CPM Kunnummakkara local committee member K C Ramachandran, who was arrested on Wednesday.Sanoj, along with another man from Patyam,  allegedly helped two assassins  to escape to Koothuparambu on bikes. Both were arrested on charges of abetment.The Judicial First Class Magistrate Rajeev Jayaraj on Thursday remanded CPM leader K C Ramachandran in police custody till May 30.The other three accused, Saneesh alias Sanu, 27, Dilshad, 28, and Fasalu, 27, were remanded in  police custody for four days.The involvement of CPM men belonging to various local and area committees in Kozhikode and Kannur districts in the murder has proved the wider conspiracy by the top party leadership.There are unconfirmed reports that the assassins  met senior leaders in Kannur after the operation.Police sources said there were six men in the Innova car during the attack and they  included T K Sumesh of Chalakkara, Mohammed Shafi of Chokli, Sunil Kumar alias Kodi of Chokli and M C Anoop alias Kalluvalapu of Chendayad.