Court refuses to discharge Kerala minister as accused
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 25, 2016, PTI:
In a setback to Kerala Power Minister and CPM leader M M Mani, a court on Saturday refused to discharge him as an accused in a 34-year-old murder case, prompting Opposition Congress and BJP to make a strong pitch for his resignation, which he rejected.
Thodupuzha Additional Sessions Court judge V G Sreedevi dismissed the discharge petition by Mani, a member of the CPM State Secretariat.
With the dismissal of his petition, Mani will continue as the second accused in the case related to the murder of Youth Congress leader Anchery Baby in November, 1982. It was reopened during the previous UDF regime and Mani was made an accused.
The court verdict is seen as an embarrassment to the ruling CPM-led LDF government, which hardly a month ago appointed him as minister following the resignation of Industries Minister E P Jayarajan on charges of nepotism.
The judge also permitted a prosecution petition to list CPM Idukki district secretary K K Jayachandran and CITU district leader A K Damodaran as accused in the case.Reacting to the verdict, Mani said he would fight the case politically and legally.
“It is a politically motivated case. I will fight the case both legally and politically,” he told reporters in Kottayam, adding that he would file an appeal soon. “I was made a minister by the LDF. I was framed during the UDF rule when Ramesh Chennithala and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan were handling the home department,” Mani said.
While the Congress and the BJP lost no time in demanding Mani’s resignation or immediate sacking by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the state unit of the CPM rallied behind him.
“The demand is ‘politically motivated... the case existed when Mani contested the Assembly elections. There is nothing new in the court verdict,” said CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.
Thodupuzha Additional Sessions Court judge V G Sreedevi dismissed the discharge petition by Mani, a member of the CPM State Secretariat.
With the dismissal of his petition, Mani will continue as the second accused in the case related to the murder of Youth Congress leader Anchery Baby in November, 1982. It was reopened during the previous UDF regime and Mani was made an accused.
The court verdict is seen as an embarrassment to the ruling CPM-led LDF government, which hardly a month ago appointed him as minister following the resignation of Industries Minister E P Jayarajan on charges of nepotism.
The judge also permitted a prosecution petition to list CPM Idukki district secretary K K Jayachandran and CITU district leader A K Damodaran as accused in the case.Reacting to the verdict, Mani said he would fight the case politically and legally.
“It is a politically motivated case. I will fight the case both legally and politically,” he told reporters in Kottayam, adding that he would file an appeal soon. “I was made a minister by the LDF. I was framed during the UDF rule when Ramesh Chennithala and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan were handling the home department,” Mani said.
While the Congress and the BJP lost no time in demanding Mani’s resignation or immediate sacking by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the state unit of the CPM rallied behind him.
“The demand is ‘politically motivated... the case existed when Mani contested the Assembly elections. There is nothing new in the court verdict,” said CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.
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