The Kerala High court on Friday asked the State government to clarify as to what was exactly the health problem P.K. Kunhanandan, one of the CPI(M) leaders convicted in the case relating to the murder of Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader T.P. Chandrasekharan, was suffering from.
The court made the oral query when a petition filed by the convict seeking to suspend his sentence of life imprisonment and release him on bail came up for hearing.
During the hearing, the court asked why could not he remain in jail and seek treatment for his illness from there. Counsel for Kunhanandan submitted that the convict was so unwell that he could not even walk. The court then said that the fact that he was unable to walk did not appear to be a serious health problem.
The government pleader produced the medical report prepared by R Aravind, assistant professor, Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. The report said that Kunhanandan was suffering from cervical spondylosis, and poly arthritis and prolonged antibiotic therapy was required.
When it was brought to the notice of the court that he had been undergoing imprisonment for seven years, the court said that what it heard was that more often than not, he had been outside the prison.
He was convicted and sentenced to life term and a fine of ₹1 lakh by the Additional Sessions Court, Kozhikode.