Police question elusive CPI-M leader (Lead, Changing dateline)

Thiruvananthapuram, July 4 (IANS) CPI-M leader M.M Mani was Wednesday questioned for around five hours in Idukki in Kerala for claiming that his party had killed four political rivals.

Mani, who was sacked as the Idukki district secretary after his claim embarrassed the party, suddenly turned up for questioning after failing to keep his date with police on two earlier occasions.

Mani has been in the dock since his May 25 speech in which he said his party had liquidated four political rivals in the 1980s and described how each one of them was killed.

On Monday, after failing to respond to police summons, authorities launched a hunt for him.

On Wednesday morning, he presented himself before a police team along with two legislators of the Communist Party of India-Marxist.

"Police were very friendly throughout the long session," he later said. "I have told them I will return any time they want me."

Inspector General of Police K. Padmakumar told reporters the questioning went on for five hours.

"We got a lot of information on the cases since 1983. The entire questioning was videographed," he said.

"Now, we will have to verify his statements with others' and he will be asked to come again," he said.