Even as the police claim that the team of officials who questioned CPM district secretary P Jayarajan for the second time on Monday obtained some new information on the Shukkoor murder case, the move to arrest him was dropped at the last moment in the absence of Home Ministry clearance to do so, according to the information available from reliable sources.
The authorities were not sure of the consequences of such an action, especially when the Assembly session is in progress. The prevailing apprehension among the higher-ups was that a Koothuparamba-like situation could be a possible outcome of the arrest as the CPM leadership had prepared its cadre to face any situation. Since the CPM leadership has
been driven to the wall following the murder of RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan, the arrest of the district secretary in the party citadel here would be something which the leadership couldn’t take lying down.
Still, the police had taken all precautionary measures for the arrest of Jayarajan towards the end of his questioning at the Government Guest House here on Monday. They had virtually fortified the Guest House, besides posting massive contingents of cops at several sensitive places. Even the presence of an executive magistrate was ensured on the premises of the Guest House, and the police were prepared to use fire-power if the
situation warranted so.
“The move to arrest him had to be dropped at the last moment,” admitted an official who refused to be identified. The investigating police officials were also eager to build a fool-proof case against Jayarajan if at all he had to be arrested. Even a properly prepared case diary to be presented in the court was not ready. Apart from the possible law and order situation likely to emerge as a consequence of the arrest, the police wanted to avoid a legal faux pas in the court. Most of all, they have to find credible evidence to frame a case of murder conspiracy against the CPM leader.
Also, his suspected ‘co-conspirator’ T V Rajesh MLA is yet to be questioned. The CPM leadership too seemed to have a hint of the police move as evident from the presence of firebrand leader M V Jayarajan at the Guest House. Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan’s assurance
that nobody will be arrested without evidence also came as breather to the party.