Kochi, Feb 24 (IANS) Following the fresh indictment of two local CPI-M leaders by the Kerala High Court in the T.P. Chandrasekheran murder case, and fresh claims that one of accused, P.K. Kunjananthan, died due to poisoning, the Congress on Saturday demanded a thorough probe into the fresh charges.

Twelve years after the brutal murder of former CPI-M leader Chandrasekheran in Kerala, the case came alive on Friday after fresh revelations made by by a former legislator.

On May 4, 2012, a gang of assailants rammed their car into the bike driven by Chandrasekharan. After he fell on the road, they hacked him to death with swords.

Chandrasekharan, once an influential local leader of the CPI(M) in Kozhikode district, had fallen out with the party in 2008 and floated a new outfit called RMP, which reportedly posed a challenge to his former party.

What has raised eyebrows now is the revelation made by former Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) legislator K.M. Shaji, who alleged that the 13th accused in the case, P.K. Kunjananthan, did not meet a natural death, but was poisoned while in jail.

Kunjananthan passed away in June 2020 while serving time in jail for his alleged role in the Chandrasekharan murder case. He was undergoing treatment at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College & Hospital at the time of his death.

Speaking to the media in Alappuzha, state Congress President and Kannur Lok Sabha MP, K. Sudhakaran, said, "It’s well known that Kunjananathan went hammer and tongs against his party and said that he will be forced to bare the truth in the TP murder case, after which he was allegedly poisoned. We demand a thorough probe into the matter."

Leader of opposition V.D. Satheesan said that if the Pinarayi Vijayan government does not order a probe into the fresh allegations, the Congress will seek legal recourse.

On Monday, the Kerala High Court upheld the conviction of 12 persons in the TP murder case.

The high court, while rejecting the appeals filed by the convicts (including the appeal by the 13th accused, Kunjananthan), also convicted two more persons - K.K. Krishnan and Jyothi Babu, both CPI-M leaders - who had been acquitted by a trial court.

Meanwhile, Chandrasekharan's now legislator wife K.K. Rema claimed again on Saturday that Chief Minister Vijayan knows everything about her husband's murder.

“In a few days from now, we are going to move the Supreme Court with a petition seeking a through probe into the conspiracy angle in the case,” Rema said.