TP Chandrasekharan murder case: Move to free convicts bypassing HC order

 Kannur: The Left Democratic Front government has commenced efforts to release the convicts of the TP Chandrasekharan murder case despite a Kerala High Court order imposing a fixed life term of 20 years without remission.

A letter sent by the Kannur Prison Superintendent asking for a police report on remitting the sentences of TK Rajeesh, Muhammad Shafi, and Anna Sijith has now leaked to the public domain. The superintendent's move follows the withdrawal of the model code of conduct in place for the Lok Sabha elections.

The prison superintendent asked the Kannur City Police Commissioner for the report. The letter, sent on June 13, states that there is a primary proposal to release the three convicts as per a government order in 2022 and calls for an investigation into all three of them. The letter also demands that the report be filed at the earliest by holding inquiries with the relatives and friends of these convicts, besides the victims of their crimes, if any. The government plans to release as many as 59 convicts in this manner.

Incidentally, these three were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by the Kerala High Court, which restricted their right to remission. Dismissing a petition by the convicts seeking to set aside the punishment awarded by the Kozhikode Additional Sessions Court, the High Court had indeed enhanced their sentence by the trial court. This month, the government has also granted parole to the TP case convicts: Manoj, Muhammad Shafi, Sinoj, Sijith, and Rajeesh.

Commenting on the development, Vadakara MLA and wife of TP Chandrasekharan KK Rema said the LDF government has always stood in support of the TP murder case convicts. "This government has been going out of the way to grant parole to them and allow them to use phones inside the prison. With this, the government is reiterating that it stands by the murder convicts. This amounts to contempt of court, and legal action will be initiated against it," she said.