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Naxalite `murder' case: HC stays proceedings

By Our Staff Reporter

Kochi March 26. The Kerala High Court today stayed further proceedings in the case relating to the `murder' of the Naxalite leader, A. Varghese, pending before the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court.

The proceedings were stayed for three months by Justice G. Sasidharan on a writ petition filed by K. Lakshmana, former IG of Police and the second accused in the case.

According to the petitioner, the FIR filed before the Magistrate Court by the CBI in the case had no legal backing. The real FIR had been filed before the Mananthavadi police station in 1970 where it was stated that Varghese was killed in an encounter with the police. The FIR had also been accepted by the Magistrate Court concerned. Even an inquest had been conducted on the body of Varghese. Now the CBI had filed an FIR after conducting a three-year investigation.

According to Mr. Lakshmana, a perusal of records showed that those who had implicated him in the Rajan case and Vigilance case were behind this case as well. He sought to quash the proceedings in the case pending before the Magistrate Court.

Meanwhile, P. Ramachandran Nair, former constable and another accused in the case, today filed a petition seeking anticipatory bail in the case, which would be taken up for hearing tomorrow.

The investigation into the death of Varghese was taken over by the CBI following a High Court directive. It had also filed a chargesheet against P.Vijayan, former DGP, Mr. Lakshmana, and Mr. Nair before the Ernakulam Magistrate Court after conducting an investigation.

According to the chargesheet, Varghese was shot dead by Mr. Nair on orders from Mr. Vijayan, the then DIG, Northern Range, and Mr. Lakshmana, the then Dy.SP. Mr. Nair was asked to shoot at Varghese in furtherance of their common aim to liquidate him after interrogation by the two police officers. Thereafter, Mr. Lakshmana on his own complaint had registered a crime at the Mananthavadi police station, stating that Varghese had fired at the police party and in self-defence, the police returned fire in which he was killed.

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