The Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) on Thursday filed a chargesheet against the five accused including two DySPs in a case relating to attempt to murder journalist V B Unnithan of Kollam.
Mahesh alias Punchiri Mahesh, 32, Kilikollur, Kollam, V R Anand, 30, Ayathil, S Shafeeq, 23, Uliyakovil, DySP M Santhosh Nair, 44, Manayikulangara, and DySP Abdul Rasheed, 48, Karunagappally, are the first five accused.
The charges against the accused were attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons and attempting to commit offences.
According to the chargesheet filed by CBI ASP S Jaikumar, the two Crime Branch officers, along with the other accused, had hatched a conspiracy to attack Unnithan in Kerala and Goa.
Unnithan’s reports on an unholy nexus between high-ranking police officers and gangsters in Kollam provoked the attack.
The CBI also relied on the deposition of Container Santhosh, an accused who turned an approver, in the case.
The CBI has not chargesheeted the persons who were arraigned as accused by the police.
Rajesh alias Happy Rajesh who was murdered after the incident, R Ramesh alias Ramu of Adoor, K Vijayakumar alias Choorakode Vijayan of Adoor, and Sanal Kumar alias Kuttan of Thrikkadavoor were excluded from the chargesheet.
Unnithan was attacked by a gang at Sasthamcotta Junction in Kollam on April 16, 2011.
The CBI said that the two Crime Branch officers and Container Santhosh met in Goa to chalk out the plan to attack Unnithan.
After the conspiracy, DySP Santhosh Nair had forwarded two photographs of Unnithan to Container Santhosh through e-mail for identification purpose.
Container Santhosh was engaged by the DySPs who in turn assigned Happy Rajesh to attack Unnithan.
Happy Rajesh deployed Mahesh, Anand and Shafeeque for the attack.