M M Mani’s discharge plea rejected, to face trial in Anchery Baby murder case

Thodupuzha: In an embarrassment to the CPI-M led LDF government in the State, a local court here on Saturday dismissed a petition filed by veteran party leader and Electricity Minister M M Mani, seeking discharge from the case relating to the murder of Anchery Baby, a youth Congress leader, in 1982.

Additional Session Judge V G Sreedevi also allowed the prosecution petition to list two other CPI(M) leaders, including Idukki District Secretary K K Jayachandran as accused in the case.

Mani, a party state secretariat member, is the second accused in the case.

The case was reopened by the previous Congress led UDF government after Mani made two controversial speeches in 2012 in which he publicly stated that the Communist party had often eliminated its political foes in Idukki district in the 1980s.

Presently, there are three accused in the case.

The youth leader, Anchery Baby was shot dead at Udumbanchola in the district on November 13, in 1982.

There were nine accused in the case and were acquitted by a lower court, which was later upheld by the High Court.

Reacting to the court order, Mani said the case was politically motivated.

"The verdict is not going to effect me in any way", he said while rejecting the demand for his resignation from the Congress and BJP.

Mani was inducted as Minister last month after the resignation of then Industries Minister E P Jayarajan in the wake of allegation of nepotism in appointments in PSUs.