The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Chandrasekharan murder case on Saturday continued its questioning of CPM Kozhikode district secretariat member P Mohanan in the presence of P K Kunajananthan for the second day.
Sources with the police maintained that they had received vital clues regarding the conspiracy to eliminate RMP leader Chandrasekharan. Officials confirmed that Mohanan was associated with the conspiracy from the beginning. Mohanan, a senior leader of the CPM from Nadapuram region, was reportedly involved in the conspiracy to kill Chandrasekharan at CPM Onchiyam Area Committee Office in 2009, when he floated RMP after quitting the CPM. The SIT will also look into it.
According to the statements of the accused, the execution of the murder was as per the direction of the ‘party’.
SIT is looking for those who had given the direction to kill Chandrasekharan, added sources. Earlier, the investigation officials found from the call records that Kunjananthan had contacted Mohanan from a mobile phone number procured by CPM Kallamala west branch secretary E M Shaji who was also arrested in the case.
Vadakara First Class Judicial Magistrate Court on Saturday dismissed the petition filed by Mohanan seeking the presence of a lawyer during the interrogation. Mohanan, who was arrested by the SIT on Friday, had been questioned in the presence of Kunjananthan on Friday also.
Vadakara First Class Judicial Magistrate M Shohaib rejected the plea citing an order of the Supreme Court in which the lawyer would be entitled to stay at a visible, but beyond outside of the place of interrogation. However, he allowed the accused to have frequent discussions with a lawyer. He stated that the presence of a lawyer during the interrogation would make the questioning irrelevant.
In a related development, Vadakara First Class Judicial Magistrate Court extended the remand of the accused K P Dilshad, Mohammed Faisal, Saneesh, Kajoor Ajesh, Mohammed Fasalu, Rameesh, Rejith and K P Dipin.
The court also rejected the bail petition moved by one of the prime accused Vayapadachi Rafeeq.