KANNUR: CPM Panur area committee member PK Kunhananthan, 71, who was the 13th accused in the TP Chandrasekharan murder case, died at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital around 9.30pm on Thursday. He had been under treatment for intestinal disorders for over a year. The High Court had on March 13 granted him bail for three months on health grounds.
Though he was convicted in the brutal murder of RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan, the court temporarily froze the sentence and granted him bail. He had approached the court seeking to quash the sentence citing indifferent health.
Regarded as the party’s strongman in its traditional stronghold of Panur, Paradu Kannangode Kelothantavide Kunhikkattil Kunhananthan was one of the CPM’s most trusted leaders in the region. He had been a regular member of Panur area committee, ever since the formation of the Panur area committee, which was earlier part of theThalasserry area committee.
Even while he was serving time in jail in the TP murder case, he had been elected to the Panur area committee. He is survived by wife V P Santha and children Shabina (teacher, Kannangode TP Gopalan memorial UP School) and Shiril (Muscat).
CM mourns death
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan paid rich tributes to P K Kunhananthan hailing him as a staunch CPM supporter who served the party with distinction. “I convey my condolences to the bereaved family and join them in their hour of grief,” he said in a condolence message.