Five CPI(M) members who were accused of torching a memorial of P Krishna Pillai, the founder of communism in Kerala, were acquitted by the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Alappuzha on Thursday. A group of people had torched the memorial and vandalised the bust of the communist pioneer in October 2013. The court acquitted them citing lack of evidence.
P. Sabu, a former local secretary of CPI(M) Kannarkad, Latheesh B. Chandran former personal staff of veteran CPI(M) leader V.S. Achuthanandan and party workers Rajesh Rajan, Pramod and Deepu were the accused in the case.
"Our innocence has been proved. We still believe in the party and will be a part of CPI(M). Krishna Pillai is one of the first leaders of our party. We will never think of committing such an act," Latheesh told the media after the verdict.
When the incident happened, a special team headed by K Padmakumar, IG, was formed to probe the incident. An SIT that investigated the case, then handed over the probe to the Crime Branch. The Crime Branch said that these five people had torched the memorial due to an internal feud in the CPI(M). Congress leaders too alleged that factional differences in the Communist party lead to the attack. The party had then suspended all the accused over the issue. An internal enquiry conducted by the party had found that a gang hired on quotation by someones had vandalized the statue of P Krishna Pillai. CPI(M) had initially alleged that Congress leaders were behind the attack.
"The foul play by then Congress Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala when the United Democratic Front government was in power has been exposed. All the witnesses and statements produced by the prosecution were forged. We hope that our party will take us back," Latheesh added.
The memorial was built in a home that Krishna Pillai used as a hide-out in the 1940s, when he was forced to live underground in a thatched hut. He died there of a snake bite in 1948. He was the first secretary of the Communist group formed in Kerala.