'CPM spent government money to import lawyers to defend party workers'; Oommen Chandy wants CPM to repay Rs 88 lakh to state exchequer

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following the arrest of five CPM activists in connection with the Periya twin murder case, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has demanded that the CPM should repay Rs 88 lakh, spent for importing lawyers to defend the party workers, to the state exchequer. He said that there was no justification for importing Supreme Court lawyers and others from Delhi at government expense to save the party workers after taking the lives of workers of opposition parties.

According to the RTI reply received from the Advocate General's Office on April 17, 2021, the state exchequer had so far paid Rs 88 lakh to the lawyers in the Periya murder case. It also paid Rs 75.40 lakhs in the Shuhaib murder case. With the state having one Advocate General, one State Attorney, one DGP, two Additional Advocate Generals, two Additional DGPs and about 150 public prosecutors, the state government brought in lawyers who charged several lakhs per hour from the Supreme Court to defend the accused in murder cases.