Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM state leadership has expressed dissatisfaction over lapses by the Ernakulam district committee in handling the Abhimanyu murder case. After Abhimanyu’s mother, Bhupathi, approached the High Court in December demanding an expedited trial, the party assigned the case's supervision to state secretariat member M. Swaraj.

This development comes amid allegations of negligence in the case's management, alongside the leasing of the Abhimanyu Memorial Building in Kaloor, Kochi, to an urban cooperative bank. Intense criticism from within the party prompted the state leadership to intervene.

Abhimanyu, an SFI leader from Ernakulam Maharaja’s College, was murdered on July 2, 2018. The indefinite delay in the trial has drawn criticism both inside and outside the party. There are also strong political allegations that CPM leaders attempted to protect the Popular Front members accused of the murder. Youth League leader P.K. Firos alleged that the SDPI demanded support for Abhimanyu’s murderers in exchange for backing Minister Abdurahiman during the Tanur Assembly elections.

Timeline of Events

  • Murder: July 2, 2018 – Abhimanyu was killed.
  • Charge Sheet: September 2018 – The charge sheet was submitted in court.
  • Witnesses: The case involves 126 witnesses, many of whom are now unavailable.

Party response following mother’s appeal

Abhimanyu's mother, Bhupathi, approached the party leadership feeling frustrated by the lack of progress in the trial, even six years after the murder. Following this, the CPM appointed advocate Arun Kumar, who is also a party leader, to file a petition in the High Court on Bhupathi’s behalf. The district committee has been entrusted with managing the case. Unlike other high-profile cases like the Periya case, where justice was swift, there are allegations within the party that justice for martyrs like Abhimanyu is being delayed.

Missing Records

Key records, including the post-mortem report, have gone missing. Abhimanyu’s brother, Parijith, alleged foul play regarding this matter.

Case Adjournments

The case has been postponed over thirty times.

Threatening CPM with jail wouldn’t work: P. Jayarajan

“No one should attempt to intimidate communists by threatening them with jail. The CPM wants an end to political killings. In 2020, two CPM workers were murdered in Vennjaramoodu in Thiruvananthapuram. The media, afflicted with anti-CPM bias, fails to highlight such incidents,” said P. Jayarajan while visiting the accused in the Periya murder case at Kannur Central Jail.