In a major embarrassment to Kerala’s Home Department, undertrials in the controversial T P Chandrasekharan murder case appear to have taken photographs and posted them to their respective Facebook pages, while on prison premises.
Manoj Kumar aka Kirmani Manoj, N K Sunil Kumar alias Kodi Suni and K K Mohammed Shafi, the second, third and fifth accused in the case respectively, pose cheerfully in the photographs taken at the Kozhikode district jail. The three key accused have been active on the social network over the past year. Manoj posed in casual wear and sunglasses while Shafi is seen using a mobile phone in the photographs.
The posts received attention from some people who greeted the “comrades”. The undertrials have also been frequently making and receiving calls on mobile phones at the prison, reports said.
T P Chandrasekharan, the leader of the Revolutionary Marxist Party, a splinter group from the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM), was hacked to death by armed assailants in May 2012, leading to severe criticism of the CPM over alleged involvement in the murder.
The three undertrials are part of a seven-member gang accused of involvement in Chandrasekharan’s murder. The other four members, including the first accused, M C Anoop, have also been tagged in some of these photographs where the undertrials pose as groups.
The photographs that reveal the easy-going lifestyle of the undertrials in the prison follow earlier reports that some of the senior police officials were ensuring that the personal needs of the undertrials were met.
Five of the key accused have Che Guevara as their profile picture on Facebook. While most of their posts and shares are dedicated to hardcore CPM activism, they have also indulged in viral internet humour apart from sharing posts seeking help on missing children.
Shafi’s Facebook page shows activity as late as on Sunday. On November 20, a “Happy Birthday” graphic with his photograph has also appeared on the page.
Posts that greet “comrades” at the CPM plenum held in Palakkad between November 27 and 29 celebrate various leaders, including party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan appear on the pages.
Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan ordered a probe under the state police chief, home secretary and the prison DGP. Radhakrishnan will also visit the jail on Tuesday. Reports said no mobile phones were found in an inspection at the jail premises on Monday. The political fallout of the revelation could take new dimensions in the backdrop of factionalism within the ruling Congress party.