CPM leader goes missing

vIndianz.com (19 Feb, 2010) — Chennai: A senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader W. R. Varadarajan has gone missing after he was unceremoniously removed from all party posts less than a fortnight ago.

W. R. Varadarajan The tall leader from Tamil Nadu has not returned home since February 11, according to his wife in a complaint filed with police in Chennai

The decision to remove Varadarajan, a national secretary of CITU and a central committee member of CPM, from all party posts was taken by the CPM central committee which met in Kolkata in the first week of February. The party, however, did not make its decision public. No reason was given for the removal, according to The Indian Express newspaper.

Reasons related to his personal life and conduct was one reason for Varadarajan’s removal, the report quoted a senior politburo member as saying.

Meanwhile, T. Rajendran, Chennai City Police Commissioner said a special team of the Crime Branch has started investigating into the complaint filed by Varadarajan’s wife Saraswati. Though party leaders and Saraswati had filed complaints with the City Police Commissioner a few days ago, the media learnt of it only on Thursday when a local Tamil weekly published two unsigned letters, purportedly written by `WR’, stating that his body be donated for research and belongings to the party.

The report, published with a screaming headline asking whether the leader had committed suicide, led to wild rumours though police downplayed such theories. According to officials, Varadarajan had a dispute with his wife following which he left home and had not returned since then.

Sources in Tamil Nadu CPM said Varadarajan was expelled following complaints from his wife.

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