RTI: Pillai was not for CBI probe into Marad.

Deccan Chronicle:Saturday, January 28, 2012.

The allegation that a section of the BJP top brass, led by former State president P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, did not want a CBI probe into the Marad massacre has been reinforced in the reply to a query under the Right to Information Act.

The Union Home Ministry’s reply to an RTI query by R. Gokul Prasad of Palakkad states that the BJP top brass apprehended that the ongoing State police probe would not be fair owing due to a nexus between Muslim League, a partner in the ruling UDF government, and the extremist National Democratic Front.

The apprehension was stated in the report of the former Union minister, Mr I D Swami, after his visit to Marad in 2003. But, though the BJP was in power at the Centre, a section in the State unit of the party, led by Mr Pillai, did not press for a CBI probe.

Mr Pillai had taken the stand that a dual probe was not possible. He was not signatory to the all-party resolution here on Oct. 5, 2003, for the CBI probe among other things.

In a 15-page report, Mr Swami reported: “The State-level BJP functionaries of BJP, VHP and Kerala Temple Protection Samiti met the Minister and expressed their apprehension that the investigation (State police probe) into incidents may not be fair. They felt that IUML could influence the course of investigation.”

Mr Sreedharan Pillai denied the allegation and reiterated his stand that BJP always wanted a CBI probe. Mr Pillai said it was the CPI (M) State secretary, Mr Pinarayi Vijayan, and the then Congress president, Mr K Muraleedharan, who had rejected demand for a CBI probe. “We’re still for a CBI probe.

The SIT, appointed by the State, has not probed the larger conspiracy and foreign fund transactions. The Opposition LDF and the ruling UDF are sabotaging the probe,” he said.

The former Union railways minister, Mr O Rajagopal, also rubbished the charges. Mr Swami accompanied by the joint secretary (Home), Mr A K Jain, visited Marad on May 5 and 6, 2003.