Kochi: The Central Bureau of Investigation team has submitted the charge sheet against 24 accused over the Periya double murder case. CPM local committee member Peethambaran, former Udma MLA KV Kuniharaman were named among the 24 accused in the case. Earlier, the Crime Branch named 14 accused and CBI who took over the probe added 10 more accused in the case.

The accused were booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code for conspiracy, murder, destroying of evidence and unlawful gathering. Among the 24 accused, 19 were booked for murder and conspiracy. While others are accused of destroying the evidence and unlawful apprehension. Ex-MLA Kunhiraman was booked under unlawful apprehension for helping the accused to flee from the police.

So far, 19 people were arrested in the case. On the other day, CBI nabbed 5 CPM workers. But their arrest is not recorded yet. Amidst this, the five accused have been trying to get anticipatory bail from the High Court.

The agency had taken over the investigation from the Kerala Police on October 23, 2019 on the directives of the Kerala High Court.

“It was alleged that on February 17, 2019, between 18.00 hours to 19.45 hours, Kripesh and Sarat Lal, alias Koorangara Joshy, two leaders of a political party (Congress), were brutally murdered by workers of another party (CPM) at Kaliyatt in Periya village due to political enmity,” CBI spokesperson R C Joshi said.

The crime branch of the state police had filed a charge sheet on May 20, 2019 against 14 accused, but the parents of the victims moved the high court, expressing anguish over the findings of the police, the officials said.