KOCHI: Establishing the alleged involvement of fundamental elements in the Abhimanyu murder case, the state government on Tuesday informed the Kerala High Court that P M Manaf of Palluruthy, who was the 32nd accused in the Muvattupuzha palm chopping case, had played a key role in the conspiracy hatched to kill Abhimanyu, a student of Ernakulam Maharaja’s College.
The Ernakulam NIA Court had earlier acquitted Manaf citing the NIA had failed to prove Manaf had participated in hatching the conspiracy and there was no evidence to show that he recruited PFI members for the preparation, piloting, harbouring and financing in the palm chopping case.
When the petition filed by the family members of the suspects in the Abhimanyu case came up for hearing, State Attorney K V Sohan submitted Manaf was one of the 15 gang members who operated the gruesome murder and he went into hiding soon after the incident.
The state also said Shameer, an SDPI activist who is also absconding, is an accused in the case. Shameer had played a key role in saving the accused persons from the clutches of the police. He used his wife’s mobile phone to contact the accused persons and the police are examining the calls generated from the phone.
Meanwhile, the court dismissed the petition filed by K M Mansya wife of Shameer; V S Nadira, wife of Manaf; and Shaharban Chungamveli, mother of Arif Bin and Adil Bin, alleging police harassment. The plea stated the police were harassing them in the guise of the investigation.
They alleged that police had summoned them to the station and threatened that they will be implicated in the case. However, the state government submitted the family members of the suspects were not summoned by the police. “For the time being, the presence of the petitioners was not required. If there is any requirement, the police will take further steps by issuing notice according to law,” the state submitted.