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Cop's confession sparks controversy over Naxal 'encounter death'

D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram

The confession by a police constable regarding the death of a Naxalite leader in Kerala has reopened a 28-year-old controversy.

The constable, Ramachandran confided to a close friend of the slain Naxalite leader Varghese that he had shot the latter dead on the orders of his superiors.

Convinced about the veracity of the confession, Varghese's friend K Vasu virtually opened the Pandora's box by publishing it in the media.

With several human rights activists and leaders of different political parties including the Communist Party of India-Marxist demanding that the case be reopened, the Communist Party of India is an embarrassing situation. The party, now an important constituent of the ruling CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front, held power when the alleged police encounter took place.

Varghese, who led a peasant struggle and was allegedly involved in several attacks on landlords in the tribal region of north Kerala in the sixties, was killed in February 1970, when late CPI leader C Achutha Menon was the chief minister.

Varghese was allegedly taken away by the police from a house in Tirunelli forest, where he was hiding, and shot dead. The police were on Varghese's trail for his alleged involvement in the sensational Pulpally police station attack case.

While his colleagues K Ajitha and Philip M Prasad, who were also said to be involved in the case, surrendered before the police, Varghese went into hiding.

Though many CPI-M leaders had expressed doubts over the 'encounter death' then, the government had remained adamant on not conceding their demand for an inquiry into it.

Communist Marxist Party general secretary M V Raghavan, who was in the CPI-M then, said that he had raised doubts about the death in the state legislative assembly. He alleged that the 'encounter theory' was cooked up by the police.

Raghavan, whose CMP is now a constituent of the Opposition United Democratic Front, has demanded a judicial inquiry into the 'encounter death'.

CPI-M leader M A Baby said Varghese's killing by the police must be considered an act of State terrorism.

The Confederation of Human Rights Organisations of Kerala has demanded a comprehensive probe into the incident. In a letter, CHROK secretary general Mukundan C Menon urged Chief Minister E K Nayanar to bring out the name of the officer who ordered the killing.

Meanwhile, former inspector general of police K Lakshmana, who was among the team of police officials which conducted the anti-Naxalite operation, has refused to say anything about the incident. He said he had recorded whatever he had to say in the police files.

Despite the strident demands, opinion seems to be divided on reopening the case.

Many felt that, if the government agrees to reopen such cases, it would have to look into Naxalite violence.

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