Kozhikode (Kerala), Jan 22

 The special additional sessions court here Wednesday found 12 people, including three CPI-M leaders, guilty in the T.P. Chandrasekheran murder case.

The court, which let off 24 others, including six CPI-M leaders, will pronounce the punishment Thursday.

The guilty include three district level CPI-M party leaders, including P.K. Kunjuanandan.

Meanwhile, the prosecution said it would appeal in the high court.

Chandrasekheran, 51, who launched the Revolutionary Marxist Party, was hacked 51 times by assailants May 4, 2012 when he was returning home on his motorcycle.

There were 76 people named in the charge sheet filed by the special investigation team of the police. Among them, two are still absconding while the high court had stayed trial against 15 people.

A total of 22 people were discharged after the trial began, one died during the trial period while the remaining 36 were arraigned as accused.

A hugely popular leader in and around the Kozhikode district, Chandrasekheran took on his former party CPI-M from which he was ousted in 2008 and flayed their ideological stand, that forced CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan publicly declaring Chandrasekheran a "renegade".

Reacting to the verdict, Vijayan said that with the verdict, the cruel act of tarnishing the party by certain vested interests has fallen flat.

"Yes, there are a few others of the party who have been now found guilty and we do not think Kunjuanandan has any role in the case. Anyway, now we will look into the issue and go ahead with legal procedures," Vijayan said.

K.K. Rema, widow of the slain former communist leader, said the CPI-M can in no way wash their hands off just because two or three of their local leaders have been let off.

"There are at least three top local leaders of the CPI-M who have been found guilty ... how can they say the party had no role. We will now seek a CBI probe to unravel the conspiracy angle because this would not have happened without the knowledge of the leadership of the party," said Rema, who was present in the court.

Ahead of the verdict, Kerala Police Monday imposed prohibitory orders in Vadakara and Nadapuram towns near here.

By:IANS