Kerala CPI-M leaders to protest Monday

Kochi, April 15 (IANS) Angry leaders and activists of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) will march towards the office of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) here Monday to protest the harassment of its leaders in a 2006 murder case.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) convenor Vaikom Viswan will inaugurate the protest march.

All top leaders from Kannur district, about 292 km from here, will participate in the march.

The protest march is being conducted by the committee's of the party here and in Kannur.

A youth, P.O.M. Fazal was murdered in 2006 by a group of people who came on three motorcycles.

The CBI that is probing the murder of Fazal, arrested three people accused in the murder. Three others were arrested earlier by the Kerala Crime Branch police team.

Two bikes, suspected to be used by the killers, have been taken into custody.

Those arrested are believed to be close aides to the CPI-M party.

The top brass of the party in Kannur went into a huddle after P.Sasi, former CPI-M secretary, appeared before the CBI investigating team last week.

Sasi, following an alleged misbehaviour case, was booted out of the party last year.

The sudden decision of the CPI-M to march towards the CBI office here arose after two of its top district leaders came under CBI radar.

The CBI took over the case after the wife of the deceased approached the Kerala High Court demanding a CBI probe.

Through Monday's march the CPI-M wish to point out that they are being haunted by the CBI and that it as an attempt to implicate party workers and leaders in cases.

Meanwhile, to make matters tough for the CPI-M, State General Secretary P. Abdul Hameed of the Popular Front of India (PFI) went a step further and demanded the role of CPI-M politburo member and former home minister to be brought into light.