TP murder: Four more held

VADAKARA: The Special Investigation Team probing into the murder of RMP leader  T P Chandrasekharan arrested four more persons on Wednesday,  including CPM Kunnummakkara local committee member K C Ramachandran.With this, the total number of persons arrested in connection with the murder became nine and the involvement of CPM members in the incident has been established at least at the local levels. Besides Ramachandran, 52, others arrested are  Saneesh alias Sanu, 27, of Murikolil house, Ponniyam West, Kathirur; Dilshad, 28, of Kallamparambathu near Azhiyur and Fasalu, 27, of Kunhipally near Mahe.Police said that Ramachandran was one of the conspirators behind the murder. He had handed over `1, 10,000 in advance to prime accused Sunil Kumar alias Kodi Suni to execute the murder. Of this, a sum of `50,000 was given to Suni by Ramachandran himself and the balance amount was handed over to an associate of Suni.Police sources added that Kodi Suni had entrusted Dilshad and Fasalu to conceal the weapons after the operation. They, along with Saneesh, also helped the assailants to escape. It is learnt that the investigators are zeroing in on two CPM area committee members and a district committee member, who also have a role in the conspiracy.Police sources said that Ramachandran owned up that he himself had arranged the hitmen due to personal enmity. However, RMP leaders at Onchiyam maintained that Ramachandran has no enmity with Chandrasekharan and with RMP. ‘’Ramachandran hardly figured in the protests staged by CPM against RMP in the region. Hence, it is clear that  Ramachandran is willingly sacrificing himself to protect the party and to shield its senior leaders,’’ a senior leader of RMP told Express.However, SIT is yet to arrest those persons who figure in the lookout circulars, who include Payappad V P Rafeeque alias Payapadachi of Palloor, Sumesh T K of  Chalakkara, Shamas A K of Chokli, Vinesh Kunnummel of Palloor, Shamil Mohammed of Chalakkara, Faisal of New Mahe, Shinoj K of Palloor, Rajikanth alias Korappan of Paral, Mohammed Shafi of Chokli, Sunil Kumar alias kodi of Chokli, Manoj alias Kirmani Manoj of Panthakkal and Anoop M C alias Kalluvalapu Anoop of Chendayad.