Manoj murder: Chennithala says won’t tolerate threats to probe team

Thiruvananthapuram: Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday said that the government would not tolerate threats from certain quarters towards the investigation team probing the Manoj murder case.

Talking to reporters here, the Home Minister rejected the reports that the police had used third-degree torture on the accused persons in the case.

“The government will ensure the security of the investigation team. We had, earlier itself, declared that the CBI would investigate the case. Because, there is involvement by some foreign elements in the case,” he said when asked about whether the case was handed over to the CBI following any order by the BJP-led central government.

The central government issued the notification instituting a CBI probe into the Manoj murder case, just weeks after the visit of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to the house of Manoj on September 26.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary E. Manoj was killed at Kathirur in Kannur on September 1.

An earlier probe by the Crime Branch SIT had made good progress and five of the assailants were arrested, including some CPI-M functionaries.