Shameful: RTI Exposes how Kerala Govt gave CPIM man Convicted in TP Chandrasekharan murder case 217 days parole in 2 years

The Kerala government’s move to commute the life term sentence of PK Kunjananthan, one of the 13 accused in the TP Chandrasekharan murder case, has sparked off a row. Meanwhile, the reply to a Right to Information query has revealed that the convict was granted as many as 217 days of parole in a period spanning over two years.

Kunjananthan was convicted on January 22, 2014 and has been housed at the Central prison, Kannur. From May 25, 2015 to June 8, 2017 Kunjananthan was granted parole for a whopping 217 days.  The details of his parole were accessed by KK Rema, the widow of Chandrasekharan, through an RTI.

In 2015, Kunjananthan was granted parole from February 25 to March 8 (11 days), May 28 to June 13 (16 days), September 3 to September 18 (15 days), and December 8 to December 23 (15 days).

In 2016,  Kunjananthan was granted parole from March 12 to March 28 (16 days), June 2 to June 13 (11 days), June 15 to July 1 (16 days), August 13 to August 24 (11 days), September 16 to October 1 (15 days). From November to December that year, Kunjananthan  was released from prison for 11 days. A total of 15 days of parole were given from December 21 to January 5, 2017.

In the month of February 2017 alone, 11 days of parole were granted between 4 February to 15 February. Between March 21 to April 6 in the same year, Kunjananthan was granted 16 days of parole. 11 days of parole were granted from 17 April to 28 April, another 11 days from May 24 to June 4, and 16 days from June 22 to July 8.

On Monday, the government’s move to commute the convict’s sentence erupted into a controversy in the state. KK Rema, while responding to TNM, said that the Revolutionary Marxist Party formed by Chandrasekharan will move court against the government’s attempt to commute the sentence.

Rema on September 22, 2017, had complained to the DGP, citing the undue privilege that Kunjananthan allegedly receives.

“Ever since he was convicted, he has been coming home every month. For the complaint I filed with the DGP, the reply I got was that the parole was granted according to the law,” she said.

In the RTI reply, it was disclosed that another  accused, KC Ramachandran, was granted parole for 117 days between June 12, 2014 to May 29, 2017. Both Kunjananthan and Ramachandran are CPI(M) leaders. Ramachandran is the 8th accused in the case.

Kunjananthan  and Ramachandran were found guilty under Section 120 (criminal conspiracy) of 302 (murder) of the IPC.

Chandrasekharan was hacked to death on May 4, 2011, when he was  51 years old. He had sustained 51 injuries on his face. He was with the CPI(M) before he left to form the RMP in May 2002.

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