Most significant documents in connection with the murder of SFI leader M Abhimanyu are found missing. The documents were submitted before the Ernakulam Sessions Court by Ernakulam Central Police. The murder had occurred on July 2, 2018. The missing takes place as the trial is imminent. Sessions Court has communicated the matter to the High Court.
Abhimanyu was killed following a clash between SFI and Campus Front activists. The altercation was regarding graffiti at Maharaja’s College, Kochi, Ernakulam. Campus Front is the student body of the outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI). Charge Sheet said that alleged members of the PFI from outside the campus came with weapons and stabbed Abhimanyu to death. Reports suggested that Sahal Hamza of Nettoor, Mekkad, stabbed Abhimanyu. Union Government has included the Abhimanyu murder case in the list of crimes in the notification banning the PFI. The total number of the accused is 26, and the witnesses are 125.
In the meantime, Prajith, the elder brother of the deceased, expressed acute shock regarding the missing documents concerning the murder case. He has demanded a comprehensive investigation into the disappearance of the documents, including the charge sheet. He stressed the need to expose the culprits and their motives. He demanded the immediate recovery of the missing documents and commenced the trial proceedings at the earliest.
The documents included important evidence like 5,000-page charge sheet, post-mortem report, witness statements and injury certificates. Despite hectic efforts, the documents remain untraceable. As a result, the Sessions Judge has communicated this to the High Court. The charge sheet was filed on September 26, 2018.
BJP and other Sangh-inspired organisations had alleged that the murder was the result of a conspiracy of CPM and PFI. Abhimanyu was actually at his home in Vattavada, Idukki district, on that fateful day. The distance between Vattavada and Kochi is about 169 km. But, somebody called him several times and asked him to return to the college for graffiti work welcoming the newcomers. Since there was no bus service in the evening, Abhimanyu travelled by goods carrier and came to college. Since Maharaja’s College is a stronghold of SFI, they could have managed it even without Abhimanyu. So, who called him and repeatedly asked him to return? Who arranged the terrorists near the college and stabbed him to death? Why did CPM-DYFI-SFI start a campaign against communalism sans naming PFI or Campus Front? Why did they, at last, convert the campaign against RSS and forget the murder of Abhimanyu by a band of PFI goons? Why did the Police fail to arrest the culprits for several years together? (Some of them courted arrest during Corona pandemic).
And now the documents have disappeared. Is that the result of a carefully orchestrated plan to ‘kill’ the case procedure? BJP leaders expressed their doubts in the matter. They suspect the role of service organisations, with allegiance to ruling parties, in the disappearance of the case documents.
Why is the trial not yet started even after six years?
Moreover, any impartial observer can see that the ruling CPM-led Democratic Front is always soft on extremist outfits.
BJP State President K Surendran alleged that the ruling party was helping the murderers in the case. CPM and PFI do have a strong understanding in between. Surendran added that some accused are connected with them. He further alleged that the nexus between the CPM and PFI is responsible for the missing documents in connection with the case, and, Police and CPM had helped the key accused in the case to escape. Surendran said that top CPM leaders tried to upset the trial by destroying the documents, hence the evidence. He demanded an explanation from CM Pinarayi Vijayan, who presides over the Home Ministry, regarding the missing documents.
