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Kannur CPM chief gets bail in Shukoor murder
In a development that could serve as a morale-booster to the beleaguered CPI(M), the Kerala High Court on Monday granted bail to its Kannur district secretary P Jayarajan, 32nd accused in the case pertaining to the murder of young Muslim League activist Abdul Shukoor even as the police sought the constitution of a special court for the trial in the case.
Justice Babu Mathew T Joseph of the High Court rejected almost all arguments the Prosecution put forward while granting grant bail to Jayarajan, who was arrested on August 1 by the Kerala Police’s special investigation team probing the Shukoor murder, on deposit of Rs 25,000 and surety of two individuals for similar amount.
After his release from the jail late Monday afternoon, the CPI(M) gave a grand reception to him outside the Central Prison, Kannur. Politbureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, other senior leaders from Kannur district and hundreds of party activists received Jayarajan, the chief of the strongest CPI(M) district unit in the country outside the jail.
The judge rejected the argument of T Asifali, Director General of Prosecutions, that Jayarajan’s release on bail could lead to law and order problems. The court wondered how Jayarajan could be held responsible for the violent incidents that occurred after his arrest, adding that bail could not be denied continuously on account of those violent incidents.
The High Court had earlier denied bail to the CPI(M) leader on the basis of the Prosecution’s argument about the violence that occurred in Kannur on August 2, following Jayarajan’s arrest on the previous day. The First Class Judicial Magistrate Court in Kannur also had denied bail to Jayarajan.
The High Court on Monday told the Prosecution that bail could not be denied in a case in which the chargesheet had already been filed. The SIT had filed the chargesheet in the Kannur court listing 33 persons - most of who were CPI(M) leaders and workers - as accused on August 21. The High Court had on the same day granted bail to CPI(M) MLA TV Rajesh, 33rd accused.
Justice Babu Mathew Joseph refused to grant the Prosecution’s request to ban Jayarajan from entering Kannur district if released on bail. He also rejected the demand to ban the CPI(M) leader from visiting the Ariyl area, native place of Shukoor, to avoid influencing witnesses saying this was illogical as Jayarajan was the district secretary of a leading political party.
The court also gave instructions to the concerned authorities to complete the bail formalities at the earliest so that Jayarajan could be released on Monday itself as the next four days were holidays in Kerala on account of the Onam festival. “Jayarajan’s bail has come as an Onam gift to him, his family and also to all of us,” said a leader of the CPI(M) from Kannur.
Meanwhile, Rahul R Nair, Kannur’s Superintendent of Police, requested the Government to constitute a special court for the trial of the Shukoor murder case. The police think that there is a possibility of the case getting derailed if the main accused are released on bail. Three more accused are yet to be arrested in the case.
In a development that could serve as a morale-booster to the beleaguered CPI(M), the Kerala High Court on Monday granted bail to its Kannur district secretary P Jayarajan, 32nd accused in the case pertaining to the murder of young Muslim League activist Abdul Shukoor even as the police sought the constitution of a special court for the trial in the case.
Justice Babu Mathew T Joseph of the High Court rejected almost all arguments the Prosecution put forward while granting grant bail to Jayarajan, who was arrested on August 1 by the Kerala Police’s special investigation team probing the Shukoor murder, on deposit of Rs 25,000 and surety of two individuals for similar amount.
After his release from the jail late Monday afternoon, the CPI(M) gave a grand reception to him outside the Central Prison, Kannur. Politbureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, other senior leaders from Kannur district and hundreds of party activists received Jayarajan, the chief of the strongest CPI(M) district unit in the country outside the jail.
The judge rejected the argument of T Asifali, Director General of Prosecutions, that Jayarajan’s release on bail could lead to law and order problems. The court wondered how Jayarajan could be held responsible for the violent incidents that occurred after his arrest, adding that bail could not be denied continuously on account of those violent incidents.
The High Court had earlier denied bail to the CPI(M) leader on the basis of the Prosecution’s argument about the violence that occurred in Kannur on August 2, following Jayarajan’s arrest on the previous day. The First Class Judicial Magistrate Court in Kannur also had denied bail to Jayarajan.
The High Court on Monday told the Prosecution that bail could not be denied in a case in which the chargesheet had already been filed. The SIT had filed the chargesheet in the Kannur court listing 33 persons - most of who were CPI(M) leaders and workers - as accused on August 21. The High Court had on the same day granted bail to CPI(M) MLA TV Rajesh, 33rd accused.
Justice Babu Mathew Joseph refused to grant the Prosecution’s request to ban Jayarajan from entering Kannur district if released on bail. He also rejected the demand to ban the CPI(M) leader from visiting the Ariyl area, native place of Shukoor, to avoid influencing witnesses saying this was illogical as Jayarajan was the district secretary of a leading political party.
The court also gave instructions to the concerned authorities to complete the bail formalities at the earliest so that Jayarajan could be released on Monday itself as the next four days were holidays in Kerala on account of the Onam festival. “Jayarajan’s bail has come as an Onam gift to him, his family and also to all of us,” said a leader of the CPI(M) from Kannur.
Meanwhile, Rahul R Nair, Kannur’s Superintendent of Police, requested the Government to constitute a special court for the trial of the Shukoor murder case. The police think that there is a possibility of the case getting derailed if the main accused are released on bail. Three more accused are yet to be arrested in the case.
