Hidden camera in party office,faction sting claims CPM district chief

Ernakulam party chief was a VS loyalist who crossed over to the rival faction.

The CPM on Monday sacked its Ernakulam district secretary Gopi Kottamurikkal on charges of misconduct. His exit marks a new chapter in the faction feud in the Kerala unit: Kottamurikkal is a victim of a sting operation by the rival group.

Kottamurikkal,a state committee member and once a staunch V S Achuthanandan loyalist,switched to the rival group led by state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in 2009. When Achuthanandans government was in power,Kottamurikkal favoured mega investment projects in the Kochi region proposed by the state industries department run by the partys official faction. Achuthanandan opposed the projects but the district secretary threw his weight behind the official group.

The Achuthanandan group started gunning for Kottamurikkal once he crossed over to the rival faction. The faction allegedly got a hidden camera planted in his room in the party office and recorded him with a woman lawyer.

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The evidence was sent to the party leadership with a complaint. The operation was to highlight the misuse of party office premises and the complaint was from a district-level leader.

The partys statement today just said Kottamurikkal was removed on charges of misconduct. It also said that a two-member panel would probe the allegations against him. Kottamurikkal was not available for comment.

Last month,the CPM expelled former Kannur district chief P Sasi from the party after an internal probe into allegations of sexual harassment. The victim was the wife of a young comrade and the daughter of a former party legislator.

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