Shocking act by a friend

KOZHIKODE: It was quite painful for many who held slain RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan’s memories dear to come to terms with the arrest of CPM Orkatteri local committee member M K Ravindran alias Padayankandi Ravindran. Because the former colleague of Chandrasekharan had no qualms about selling wreaths from his shop to those who wanted to pay their last respects to the leader after his murder on May 4. According to police, Ravindran who runs a florist shop-cum-Milma booth at Orkatteri town near Onchiyam, had allegedly helped the killer gang to identify and locate the whereabouts of Chandrasekharan. The news about his arrest on May 15 literally shocked the people of Onchiyam. “Before Chandrasekharan quit the CPM, he and Ravindran had worked together. Both  were common faces at social occasions in Onchiyam and Orkattery regions. They maintained the personal relationship even after Chandrasekharan quit the party. Apart from differences in political outlook, there was no personal enmity evident between the two,” said a resident of Onchiyam, who preferred not to be named.Said K K Jayan, youth wing leader of the RMP, “Ravindran was active in the party after the murder till he was arrested by the SIT. He escorted CPM leaders to the houses and shops which were attacked by miscreants following the murder in the region.”