Kozhikode, Aug 13 (IANS): Kerala Police probing the gruesome murder of a former CPI(M) leader Monday submitted a list of 76 accused, which includes middle and lower level cadres of the party.

T.P. Chandrasekheran, 51, was a firebrand CPI(M) leader from Onchiyam near here. He split from the CPI(M) in 2008 and formed his own outfit, Revolutionary Marxist Party.

Since then, he has been a troublemaker for CPI(M) in Kozhikode district.

On May 4, while Chandrasekheran was returning home on his motorcycle, he was ambushed by a gang in a Toyota Innova and hacked 51 times, according to the police.

The state government of Chief minister Oommen Chandy gave the police a free hand to investigate the murder. The very next day the police located the Innova and began rounding up the killers and conspirators.

The charge sheet submitted to the Vadakara magistrate court states that the prime motive for the murder was that Chandrasekheran's Revolutionary Marxist Party had become a serious threat to the CPI(M) in the state.

The police team claims that it has been able to gather 322 pieces of evidence to link 76 people to the crime. The evidence includes the vehicle that was used by the seven men who carried out the murder, Chandrasekheran's blood stains in the car besides hair of those accused.

Other evidence that was submitted included mobile call details of the accused.

The seven-member killer gang is arraigned as accused one to seven apart from middle and lower-level CPI(M) party leaders from Kozhikode and Kannur districts.

P. Mohanan, accused number 14, is the husband of CPI(M) legislator K.K. Lathika.

C.H. Ashokan, accused number nine, is the former secretary of the CPI(M)-backed powerful NGO of state government employees.