KOZHIKODE : The Hindu Aikya Vedi has warned of an agitation for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Marad massacre case.

It said the CBI decision not to inquire into the case was `unwarranted.' Vedi leaders T. Suresh, A. Sathyanathan and T. Murukesan said at a press conference in Kozhikode on Tuesday that the State Government had asked for a CBI probe since the Marad Judicial Commission had in its report recommended an inquiry by a Central agency to look into the source of funding, inter-State links and conspiracy involved in the gruesome massacre in Marad.

"The Judicial Commission would not have recommended a probe by a Central agency if such an inquiry was illegal. The reasons put forward by the CBI for not taking up the inquiry are hollow. If the Central and State Governments do not ensure a CBI probe, there would be an agitation," the Vedi leader said.

It was also alleged that attempts were being made to scuttle the Marad case that was being tried in a special court in Kozhikode. What made the vedi suspect that there was a move to scuttle the case was the publicity given by an Independent MLA who won with the support of the CPI(M) in the last Assembly election, to a letter he claimed to have received from a remand prisoner in the case. In that letter the remand prisoner was reported to have claimed that a majority of the remand prisoners in the case were innocent.

"The motive behind discussing matters that are before the court have to be viewed with suspicion. The MLA's moves have to be seen as an attempt to influence the court trying the Marad case since the letter he is talking about now was received a year ago," the vedi leaders said.

They pointed out that the MLA had not bothered to appear before the commission on Marad massacre. "Both the CPI(M) and the Indian Union Muslim League are competing with each other to protect the culprits in the case. The vedi would be forced to launch a struggle for justice," the leaders said.

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