T. P. Chandrasekharan

T. P. Chandrasekharan (23 July 1960 – 4 May 2012) was an Indian politician who was the founder of Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP), a breakaway group of Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). Born in Onchiam village in Kozhikode district in Kerala, he posthumously shot to national prominence after he was hacked to death on 4 May 2012; CPI(M)'s local organization is widely blamed as the perpetrator for the murder.[1][2][3]

T. P. Chandrashekaran
Founder Revolutionary Marxist Party
Personal details
Born23 July 1961
Onchiyam, Calicut, India.
Died4 May 2012(2012-05-04) (aged 50)
Cause of deathAssassinated
Political partyRevolutionary Marxist Party (Marxist)
Spouse(s)K. K. Rema
ChildrenAbhinand

Political life

Chandrasekharan at the age of 18 worked as CPI(M) branch secretary in Nellacery West Branch. During the Emergency Chandrasekharan was the Unit Secretary of SFI in Madappally High School. He also worked as the Central committee member of the Students' Federation of India (SFI). He was later appointed District Secretary of DYFI Kozhikode.

Chandrasekharan was a follower of V. S. Achuthanandan while working with the CPI(M). Chandrasekharan left the CPI(M) in 2008 and worked on forming out a new political party under the name Revolutionary Marxist Party.[4] In the 2009 local body, he led his newly formed Revolutionary Marxist Party to victory at his home panchayat in Onchiam and nearby villages.

Chandrasekharan with his Son Abhinand in 2011

Death


According to police, 51-year-old Chandrasekharan was attacked by assailants on 4 May 2012, who came by a car while he was riding a motorcycle alone while returning after participating in a wedding. Crude bombs were hurled at him and when he fell off the motorcycle, he was hacked to death with sharp weapons mainly focusing on his face. According to the postmortem report, received 51 stabs.[5] The body was left in a pool of blood on the road for more than half an hour after which he was taken to the hospital by the police. A special police team was formed to investigate the murder.

The prominent criminals in the convicted gang are N. K. Sunil Kumar alias Kodi Suni, 31, and T. K. Rajeesh, 35. Suni has been facing 37 cases, including two murder cases and kidnap incidents. Suni was the first accused in the murder of Popular Front of India Muhammed Fazal in 2006.

Karai Rajan and Karai Chandrasekharan have been accused in the case.

Arrests

The prime suspect of the murder T. K. Rajeesh was arrested in Mumbai by Kerala Police on 9 June 2012. More than 50, including local leaders of Communist Party of India (Marxist) had been detained for interrogation by the investigating team.

By 10 July 2012 all of the assassination group members who had a direct involvement in the murder was arrested by the Kerala Police. the court concluded on 22 January 2014 that twelve persons accused were guilty of the murder, including three CPI(M) leaders. 24 accused were set free due to lack of evidence. Court sources said the judgment, running into over 350 pages, indicated that it was a politically motivated murder.

The first seven accused, who actually took part in the killing, were found guilty under Section 302, 143, 147 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The accused from second to seventh were found guilty under Section 148. However the second accused and third accused were also convicted under Sections of the Explosive Substances Act.

Accused Ramachandan, Manojan, and Kunhanandan were found guilty under Section 120 of 302of IPC. Rafeeque was found guilty under Section 109 while Pradeepan under Section 201 of Indian Penal Code.

K. K. Rema, Chandrasekharan's wife said she was not fully satisfied with the verdict, yet it had exposed the role of the CPI(M) in Kozhikode and Kannur districts hatching a plot to kill her husband. She also demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the case.[6]

Aftermath

At least 30 houses were attacked and two dozen vehicles burnt in north Kerala on Saturday after news of the incident.[7] The murder was widely covered for at least a month on the Kerala media and brought out significant tremors in the CPI(M).[8] V. S. Achuthanandan demanded immediate changes in the state leadership and to constitute an ad hoc committee, failing which would result him relinquishing his position as leader of the opposition in the state assembly.[9]

Pinarayi Vijayan, a leader of CPI(M), remarked that traitors are always traitors, an indirect reference to Chandrasekharan's exit from the party back in 2008. The comment came few days after Chandrasekharan's murder.[4]

A memorial erected by RMP members in remembrance of Chandrasekharan's murder have reportedly been attacked constantly by CPI(M) members and consequently had to be rebuilt five times.[5]

See also

References
  1. "T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case was brought before the law". Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  2. "Feud in Kerala CPI(M) intensifies". Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  3. "Murder of party rebel comes to haunt CPM". Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  4. NP, Ullekha. "Top CPM leadership helpless as Kerala CPM heads for potential split". The Economic Times. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  5. "First CPI(M) Workers Killed Him Wth 51 Stabs, Then Smashed His Memorial Not Once, But 5 Times". https://www.outlookindia.com/. Retrieved 3 October 2020. External link in |website= (help)
  6. http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kozhikode/seven-held-guilty-for-tp-chandrasekharan-murder/article5605223.ece
  7. "Ex-CPM leader's murder rocks Kerala". Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  8. "Self Destruct". The Indian Express. 25 May 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  9. "V S Achuthanandan's ultimatum to politburo". TOI. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
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