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Indian Express

31 years after attack in which RSS worker — now Kerala BJP vice president — lost both legs, 8 CPM workers surrender

Thirty-one years after a brutal attack on an RSS worker in Kerala, eight convicted CPI(M) workers surrendered before a court in Kannur on Monday. The RSS worker, who lost both his legs in the attack on January 25, 1994, is now BJP state vice-president Sadanadan Master, who was also made a Rajya Sabha member last month. Sadanandan, a retired school teacher, was serving as the RSS saha karyavah in Kannur district when he was attacked at his hometown of Mattannur. The accused CPI(M) workers surrendered before the sessions court in Thalassery after their appeal against the conviction was rejected by the High Court early this year. They had been sentenced to seven years' imprisonment and will be moved to the Kannur Central Prison. After a trial court in Kannur convicted and sentenced them in 1997, the accused moved the High Court, which in January this year upheld the conviction. The High Court had said the accused do not deserve 'any sort of leniency in the light of the overt acts committed by them'. 'The incident did not happen in a fit of rage/anger or on a sudden provocation. The attack seems to have been premeditated,' the High Court had said in the order upholding their conviction. The court also enhanced the compensation amount, with each of them being asked to pay Rs 50,000 each. Later, the accused moved the Supreme Court, which declined to admit the plea. Subsequently, the High Court cancelled their bail and told them to surrender before the trial court not later than August 4. There were 12 accused in the case, but the trial court had convicted only eight, as the charge of conspiracy against the four others could not be proved. This was one of the few cases pertaining to political violence in Kannur in which police had slapped various sections of the Terrorists and Disruptive Activities Prevention Act (TADA) 1987. Later, the charges under TADA were dropped. Meanwhile, CPI(M) leaders arranged a farewell for the accused persons before they left for the court to surrender.