Alappuzha: A court here on Thursday acquitted all the five accused in a case relating to the torching of the memorial of communist leader K Krishna Pillai and vandalising of his bust in the district in 2013, citing lack of evidence.

The District and Sessions court judge A Badharudeen, acquitted the accused-- Latheesh B Chandran, former personal staff of veteran CPI(M) leader V S Achuthanandan, P Sabu, former local secretary and three others in the case.
The court held that the prosecution had failed to produce any evidence.

Reacting to the verdict, Lateesh, one of the accused, said it was the victory of truth. A Special Investigation team had probed the incident and later the crime branch took over the case.

Described as "Kerala's First Communist", Pillai was the founder secretary of the Communist party in Kerala when it was formed in 1937 and was a pioneer in the working class movement.

He died of snake-bite on August 19, 1948 while living underground in a thatched hut at Muhamma, which was later turned into his memorial.

(With PTI inputs.)