Thaindian News

Kozhikode, May 11 (IANS) A special team investigating the murder of former Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader T.P. Chandrasekharan has issued a “lookout circular” for eight suspects, police said Friday.

The circular, containing secret information to help round up the suspects, has been handed over to all the major airports, said police.

Chandrasekharan, 51, was killed in Onchiyam near here, Friday night as he was returning home on a motorcycle. Police said he was attacked with a bomb and then murdered. His face was disfigured.

Meanwhile, the first eyewitness to the crime came forward Friday with the details of what he saw.

“I saw a vehicle gong fast and suddenly it came back on the wrong side and we heard a loud sound and found a motor cycle on the ground. Then we saw three people standing outside with one person brandishing a sword and another one had a stick. Seeing us, they threatened us and we backed off after a country bomb was hurled. After a few minutes, they went away,” Ramachandran told reporters.

“When their (the assailants) vehicle went away, we rushed to the place and saw a person very badly butchered and I had a doubt if it was TP (Chandrasekharan). Soon he was taken to the hospital,” added Ramachandran.

Police seem to have made through a breakthrough when they identified a sticker at the back of the vehicle as a popular one used by the Muslim community.

They, however, contended that this was done purposely to mislead the investigation, but said they have identified the place where this particular sticker was made.

Meanwhile, Chandrasekharan’s father-in-law, K.K. Madhavan, a local CPI-M leader told the media that his son-in-law never had any enemies other than in his former party. He hinted at leaving the party if its role is proved in the crime.

“So to doubt the CPI-M is not wrong. But if it is proved right (the role of the CPI-M), then the future will have to be worked out,” he said.

Chandrasekharan was an active CPI-M leader in his hometown Onchiyam nearKozhikode till 2008. Later he formed the Revolutionary Marxist Party which unseated his old party in village councils around his home town.