Kerala High Court Quashes Attempt-to-Murder Charges Against Congress President Sudhakaran

Kerala - The Kerala High Court has quashed the attempt-to-murder charges against state Congress president K. Sudhakaran, who was accused of plotting to kill CPM leader E.P. Jayarajan in 1995.

The court discharged Sudhakaran and another accused, Rajeevan, on the grounds that the allegations of criminal conspiracy in the attempt to kill Jayarajan and possibly other CPM leaders were registered in Andhra Pradesh, where the incident took place. Hence, an FIR in Kerala cannot be justified.

Sudhakaran and Rajeevan had filed a criminal revision petition challenging the 2016 order passed by a sessions judge who had rejected their plea to be discharged from the case.

The incident that led to the case dates back to April 12, 1995, when Jayarajan, who was returning to Kerala by train, was shot at and grievously injured while at Chirala in Andhra Pradesh. Two assailants were arrested and put on trial in Andhra Pradesh. However, neither Sudhakaran nor his supporter Rajeevan were chargesheeted by the Andhra Pradesh police.

A second FIR was filed in 1997 in Thiruvananthapuram based on Jayarajan’s complaint alleging that Sudhakaran and Rajeevan had met at the Thycaud Guest House in the state capital to plot the murder of several CPM leaders, including himself.

Reacting to the court’s decision, Sudhakaran told reporters, “This is a big blow to the CPM and the BJP and their attempts to label me as a criminal and murderer. Poor EP (Jayarajan).”

Jayarajan, who is the convener of the Left Democratic Front, said he would file an appeal in the Supreme Court. “I will file an appeal in the Supreme Court,” he told reporters.