CPI(M)-Maoist links: Pinarayi Vijayan urges Amit Shah to transfer case to state police

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on February 5 informed the state Assembly that he has written a letter to home minister Amit Shah urging him to transfer the case involving CPI(M) members with Maoist links to state police.  

Currently, the case is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).  The state police had arrested the duo for alleged links with Maoists and had charged them under sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. However, the NIA later overtook the case.

The two were charged under Sections 20 (punishment for being a member of a terrorist gang or organisation), 38 (offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation) and 39 (offence relating to support given to a terrorist organisation) of the UAPA.

Alan Shuhaib and Thaha Fasal, students of law and journalism respectively of Kannur University, were taken into custody by the police from Pantheerankavu in Kozhikode on November 1 last year.

During an earlier hearing, the two had told the court, "We are not Maoists. We are CPI (M) activists. The chief minister, who says we are Maoists, should bring proof of whom we killed and where we bombed. In the last election, we have served as CPI(M) booth agents. We are the ones who went out to vote and pasted posters for the party."

• Pinarayi Vijayan
• Maoist
• NIA
• Amit Shah