KANNUR: The state government has landed in a fresh controversy with its move to release P K Kunhananthan, who is serving a life term in Kannur Central Jail for his role in the murder of RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan.The government wants to grant Kunhananthan a relaxation by including him in the list of prisoners over the age of 70 who suffer from ailments.But, according to the police, the court records, including the FIR, show that Kunhananthan’s age is 68. And it is also noted that the extraordinary move takes place when his period of sentence has not even crossed four years. It was in 2014 that Kunhananthan was sentenced for life in the sensational TP murder case for his involvement in the conspiracy. He was the 13th accused in the case.
As per jail rules, the statement of the victim’s relatives should be taken before giving relaxation to the accused. After recording the statement, the jail authorities can give the report to the jail advisory board regarding the release. As part of this process, the statements of Chandrasekharan’s widow K K Rema and kin were taken by Kolavallur SI. The Kannur SP will submit his report to the government based on these reports.
Meanwhile, Rema said the move to release Kunhananthan is unacceptable and vowed to resist it at all costs. “It’s the close relationship with CPM leaders that gives him the advantage. If he gets out, our life will be in danger. Our appeal against the move is still in court,” she said.Kunhananthan’s clout can be gauged from the fact that even though he is in jail, he continues to be a member of the party’s Panur area committee.As per jail rules, a convict can be granted 60 days of parole considering the situation at home. But, it is pointed out that, since the LDF government came to power, the CPM leader was granted 211 days of parole.