Former CPI-M activist hacked to death

In a shocking incident fraught with political overtones, leader of Revolutionary Marxist Party T P Chandrasekharan, who was expelled from Communist Party of India-Marxist a few years back, was attacked and killed by unidentified assailants at Vallikkad near Vatakara in Kozhikode district on Friday night.

According to the police, 50-year-old Chandrasekharan was attacked by assailants who came by a car while he was riding a motorcycle alone. Country-made bombs were hurled at him and when he fell off the motorcycle, he was hacked to death with sharp weapons.

Condemning the incident, leaders of the Congress-led United Democratic Front alleged that CPI-M workers could be behind the murder as Chandrasekharan had been an irritant to the party leadership in their stronghold Onjiyam for quite some time.

CPI-M District Secretary T P Ramakrishan, however, refuted the allegation. "Our party has nothing to do with this incident. We are opposed to this type of violence", Ramakrishnan said.

Chandrasekharan began his political career as an activist of the CPI-M's campus wing SFI. He later became a whole-timer of the party in its stronghold.

Chandrasekharan was once known as a supporter of senior leader V S Achuthanandan and was said to have incurred the wrath of the faction loyal to the party state Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan.

Home Miniter Thiruvanchur Radhakrishan condemned the incident and said an effective investigation would be conducted and culprits brought to book.

Union Minister of State for Home Mullapally Ramachandran expressed profound grief at the murder of Chandrasekharan. Socialist Janata Democratic leader M P Veerendra  Kumar expressed shock at the incident.