Teacher suicide case: first accused arrested

Kannur: The police Tuesday arrested one of the accused in the case of suicide of E.P. Sasidharan, a higher secondary school headmaster, at Thaliparamba in Kannur.

M.V Shaji is now in police custody and will be brought before a magistrate later in the day.

CPI-M legislator James Mathew, the second accused in the case, has been asked to appear before the police, but he is yet to do so.

Sasidharan, who was the headmaster of Tagore Vidyanikethan Higher Secondary School at Thaliparampa, hanged himself in a hotel room in Kasargode Dec 14 last year. He left a suicide note blaming CPI-M legislator James Mathew and fellow school teacher Shaji for his suicide.

Earlier, a lower court and subsequently the Kerala high court last week rejected the anticipatory bail plea of both the accused.

Shaji has been on the run ever since the suicide note was found, while Mathew, a legislator, was moving around freely even after the high court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.

An action committee formed soon after the suicide of the headmaster had been demanding the arrest of the two accused who are alleged to have caused mental harassment to Sasidharan over the administration of the school.

Sasidharan's wife also alleged that political higher ups were shielding the accused.

Meanwhile, with the CPI-M's state party conference scheduled to begin later in the week and with Mathew a member of the powerful state committee of the party, he is likely to appear before the police once the party conference concludes.

Mathew, who represents the Thaliparampa assembly constituency in Kannur district, is a first time legislator.