The Kerala CPI(M) has decided to field two murder-accused in the upcoming local-body polls. Karayi Rajan and Karayi Chandrasekharan will contest for Padyam division of Kannur district panchayat and Chellikkara ward of Thalassery municipality respectively. The party has also defended the decision.
The Karayi brothers are the accused in the murder of Fazal, who was a Popular Front of India worker. Earlier High Court had prevented them from entering Kannur district but it later allowed them to enter the district to file nominations.
The CBI probe in to the Fazal murder had shown that CPI (M) had hired goons to kill him for leaving the party and joining Popular Front.
Earlier CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Pinarayi Vijayan had told media that there is nothing wrong in fielding Karai brothers as they were not proven guilty by the court yet.
LDF convener Vaikom Viswan also told reporters on Sunday that Karayi brothers were fielded as they have not been convicted yet.
“Accused and convict are different. Several leaders who faced various charges have contested the elections in the past,” he said he said in a press meet in Thiruvananthapuram as per The New Indian Express.