Mani, CPI-M's Idukki district secretary had stated at a public meeting at Thodupuzha that the party had eliminated at least three of its political foes in the 1980s, causing a huge embarrassment to the party.
Police had registered cases against him on the basis of the disclosures. Yesterday, a case pertaining to murder of a Congress worker Ancheri Baby, who was shot dead on November 13, 1982 was registered by police against Mani and five others under Section 120(b) (punishment of criminal conspiracy) and Sect 118 (concealing the design to commit the crime).
Mani contended that the order of the Judicial First Class magistrate, Nedumkandam was without jurisdiction and sanction of law.Hence he was not justified in entertaining the petition by police, permitting the Investigating Officer to conduct further investigation in the case, he said.
He alleged the First Information Report was 'prepared' in Thiruvananthapuram at the instance of the Chief Minster and Home Minister and handed over to the Idukki Superintendent of Police with a direction to register a crime.
There is no material available warranting registration of three new crimes, he claimed. Due to "continuous intervention" of the Chief Minister and the Home Minister, police was registering new crimes in a "clandestine manner", fabricating evidence and procuring witnesses who are inimical to him, he alleged.
Mani alleged that registration of the crime was part of a state-level conspiracy hatched by Congress and that the Special Investigation Team, controlled by the Home Minister, was out to "destroy" CPI-M and the petitioner.
The petition is likely to come up before the court tomorrow.