KASARGOD: The CPM is collecting funds to fight the Periya case legally. The money is being collected in the name of a special fund. The Kasaragod district committee has directed that party members should donate Rs 500 each and those employed should donate one day's salary.
The directive is that the money should be handed over to the area committees by January 20. The CPM has more than 28,000 members in the district. Apart from them, there are also people working in cooperative firms controlled by the party.
The Kannur district committee gave a rousing reception to the four accused CPM leaders, including former Uduma MLA K V Kunhiraman released after the high court granted a stay. Leaders like Kannur district secretary M V Jayarajan, senior leader P Jayarajan, state committee member Sathish Chandran and many workers had come to receive them. The four released were welcomed with a red garland. K V Kunhiraman's response was that they were arraigned as they were CPM leaders and that they had faith in the judicial system.
The division bench comprising Justice P B Suresh Kumar and Justice Jobin Sebastian stayed the sentence after considering the plea filed along with the appeal seeking quashing of the sentence.