AYUSH ANAND & VAIBHAW CHADDHA
Advocate Rajesh is a well-known criminal lawyer in Vadakara court, Kozhikode. He deals with nearly all cases of communist violence against Sangh workers in his area. He also the contested 2016 Assembly election on a BJP ticket from Vadakara constituency and got roughly 14,000 votes, which comprised 11 per cent of the total vote share.
He is the advocate in the cases of Manoj, VV Mani and Jeevana of Eyyankode. In all the cases, he faces the same difficulty: That is of a botched-up investigation by Kerala Police. According to him, after every incidence of violence, the police tries to hush up the case. The workers of Sangh parivar, who are becoming victims of communist violence, come from poor, less educated and labour class backgrounds. They don’t know how to give statements to the police, how to preserve the evidence, and the value of uniform statement before all the authorities because of their educational barrier. On the other side, CPI(M) cadres are well read and know the law, hence they use it not only to falsely implicate the victim itself, but also to plan their attacks.
He further said police administration works under the dictates of the CPI(M) leadership. On those leaders’ instructions, the police writes its Police Diaries and carry out investigation by informing them. Even the charges are framed as per the CPI(M)’s convenience in all the political violence cases.
He gave us the example of the CT Manoj murder case, where the High Court, observing the happenings with the police investigation, ordered a CBI inquiry in that case. Not only this, Rajesh also recalled an incidence where CPI(M) leaders changed important files and documents in the court room itself, with their influence on the court-room staff.
Advocate Rajesh was also a victim of communist violence in his college days. His left eye-sight is weak because of an incidence in his college. When they were staging a protest for the ABVP, a few SFI workers came and began beating them. During that tussle, someone penetrated a knife blade in his left eye.
He told us that the RSS office gate, which is close to his office, was also broken down by communist goons, who later marked this territory with SFI road paint and banners. In several areas of Vadakara, they even don’t allow the BJP to put up party flags and posters.
He said to us that he is having only a team of 10 to 15 BJP workers in the area, who have to deal with all such situations. Because of his active involvement he is also under threat and on the radar of CPM goons. He told us that he may be attacked any time for his commitment to the party, but his dedication can’t be silenced by these violators.