Kochi Kerala 14/03/2024. Kerala Opposition leader V.D. Satheeshan.
Photo by H Vibhu.
| Photo Credit: H VIBHU

Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheeshan has demanded that the CPI(M) party secretary and the Chief Minister should apologise to the people of the State for the Periya twin murder.

He was responding to the media in the wake of a CBI court verdict convicting the accused in the case here on Saturday.

The CPI(M)-led State government misused the police to protect the accused. The government with the knowledge of the chief minister spent about ₹1 crore from the taxpayer’s money to stop CBI from probing the case. The CPI(M) State Committee should refund that amount to the State government, Mr. Satheeshan said.

Kerala should be ashamed that a party which conspired the murder of two innocent youngsters and then tried to protect the accused and destroy evidence is ruling it. We will go on appeal in consultations with the families of the victims against the acquittal of a few of the accused by the CBI court.

The conviction of the accused is the victory of a relentless fight staged by the families and the Congress party. Such brutality should not be repeated in our State. The police should not be turned into a force for shielding those committing such brutality.

Instead of feeling elated about the conviction of the accused, the State is planning to go on appeal against the verdict. CPI(M) has thus once again proved that it’s a party that openly back such criminal elements.

The families’ demand for CBI inquiry was allowed by the court after they were convinced that they will not receive justice from the State police and following the alleged attempt to save the accused and turn the witnesses hostile. Since CBI probed the case, the witnesses didn’t turn hostile and that led to the conviction.

If the accused were not convicted in this case, then it would have sent across a very bad message to the society that anyone can take other’s lives.

He also accused that the chief minister disrespected the departed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by participating in the inauguration of the Cochin International Airport Hotel when his body was being laid to rest and the entire country was in mourning with all the official functions suspended.