Marad Commission Report Submitted

Thiruvananthapuram : The judicial commission, which probed the marad massacre, headed by Justice  Thomas P Joseph has handed over the report to the Chief Minister Mr Oommen chandy at the latter’s residence on Monday.

Justice Thomas said that the 490 paged report had two volumes, of which the first volume contained the analysis and inferences about the evidences and the second volume presented the list of witnesses and also the list of various documents.

The report has been prepared after the collection of evidences over a period of 27 months and the inferences drawn from it. The commission held 110 sittings and examined 121 witnesses, of which the statement of former  city police commissioner Ms Mera Ravath was recorded through video conferencing , while the commission visited the Coimbatore jail and recorded the statement of Mr Abdul Nasser Madni. The case has 148 accused. The Justice  Thomas also said that the commission accepted 622 documents as evidence.

The brutal massacre of 8 Hindus at Marad occurred on 2^nd may 2003 and the judicial commission was appointed on august 2003 in the wake of the allegations mainly from Sangh Parivar about the credibility of Crime Branch’s shallow approach to the conspiracy behind the well organised and planned operation.

Mr Chandy said that the report could not be disclosed according to the ‘Commission of Enquires Act’. He also added that the government would examine the report and be presented in the assembly with necessary recommendations. 

Meanwhile BJP spokesperson Mr B K Shekher demanded the immediate disclosure of the report in the light of Marad commission’s findings about terrorist activity in the state.