Chithara case: Kin refute CPM’s claim

Kollam: CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s claim that CPM worker A M Basheer, who was stabbed to death at Chithara here on Saturday, was a victim of Congress’s revenge politics, has been dismissed by the deceased’s kin.
The kin of the victim and the accused have refuted Balakrishnan’s claims and said that personal enmity was the reason behind the murder.

Aftabeevi, Basheer’s sister, said that her brother, who sold tapioca at the local market, had clashed with the accused Shajahan earlier as well. On Saturday, Basheer refused to sell tapioca to Shajahan. He also questioned Shajahan for calling him names. That escalated into verbal abuse between the duo, she said.

Shajahan’s brother Sulaiman also dismissed Balakrishnan’s claims and said that the Shajahan was not a Congress man. “We have never participated in CPM campaigns. But our family always voted for CPM candidates. I don’t know how Shajahan became a Congress worker all of a sudden,” he said.

Witnesses to the incident and police had stated that the murder was an outcome of personal enmity between Basheer and Shajahan.

Shajahan had also informed police that Basheer had assaulted him earlier, and out of revenge he stabbed the CPM worker.

The remand report, the Kadakkal police produced before the court states personal enmity as the reason for murder. However, when the FIR was registered, police changed their stand and recorded it as a murder committed out of political enmity.

It may be noted that Shajahan is an accused in several criminal cases, including assaulting his brother.

However, Sulaiman claimed that Shajahan suffers from occasional bouts of mental disturbances.

When contacted, DCC president Bindu Krishna said it was a disgraceful attempt on the part of the CPM to term the killing as political murder.

“Infact, CPM is trying to save its face in the wake of the Peirya double murder. The accused Shajahan is no way connected to the Congress. Our party would not engage a criminal to kill an aged man against whom our party has no complaint,” she pointed out.

Meanwhile, the CPM Politburo Member MA Baby in a Facebook post said that Congress was once again resorting to the murder politics. He asked CPM cadres to withdraw from any provocation as the CPM was committed to peace and well-being of the people.