Bail to NDF-IUML-CPI(M)- Jihadi’s

106 accused get bail in Marad case

Pioneer News Service | Kochi

The 106 accused in the Marad case, in which eight Hindu fishermen were lynched, were given bail by the Kerala High Court. Justice R Basant of the Kerala High Court gave the verdict.
 
The court directed that the accused will have to follow strict regulations as in the case of the bail given earlier to the 30 accused. The court however gave permission for the accused to stay together while on bail.
 
It was on May 2, 2003 that eight fishermen who were resting on the beach of the Marad fishing hamlet were lynched by a mob of the alleged NDF men who were armed with lethal weapons. Several were injured and maimed for life.
 
The incident totally changed the outlook of the Kerala society and that it was certain that the Islamic militancy has reached the shores of the State. There were allegations of the presence of the CPI(M) and the Muslim League cadre in the group of the persons involved in the massacre of the innocent Hindu fishermen.
 
There were continuous protests from Hindu organisations including the Araya Samajam and the RSS and affiliated organisations and the Government had to constitute a inquiry commission under Justice Thomas P Joseph.
 
The commission has specifically mentioned the presence and the role played by the NDF in the killings and the commission has also directed the Government to probe into the role of inter-State involvement in the carnage as well as the conspiracy angle and the funds transferred.
 
There were also reports to the police and other investigating agencies on the role played by an NRI, Hilal Mohammed in transferring funds for the Marad carnage. The role played by a senior leader of the Muslim League, Mayan Haji was also noted and the local people of Marad had publicly aired their protest when this person contested in the elections to the Assembly from Beypore constituency.
 
The CPI(M), the Congress and other mainstream political parties were accused of having supporting the accused in the Marad case and this led to the emergence of several leaders from the fishermen community in the Marad area.
 
The Union Minister of State for External Affairs, E Ahamad was blocked by the women folks of Marad owing to his statement on the Mosque from where loads of deadly weapons were confiscated. Ahamad had then told the media that the followers are not allowed Namaz at the mosque which the police and the administration retorted that this mosque was used as the storage centre of deadly weapons which were confiscated by the then police team under Commissioner TK Vinod Kumar, an impeccable police officer. There were even allegations on the role played by two high-level officers of the State police and the personal rapport they maintained with certain top leaders of the NDF were also under scrutiny.
 
The then Chief Minister AK Antony had convened a high-level meeting in Marad in which he was showered with abuses from the residences of the families of the affected people. It was the strong stand taken by Chief Minister AK Antony when he did not even took his colleagues in the Cabinet to hold discussions with the affected in the Marad issue which had ultimately cost him his post of the Chief Minister.
 

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