The Kerala government has swung into damage-control mode by suspending three jail officials for recommending remission for three men convicted of the murder of CPM rebel T.P. Chandrashekaran.

Kannur central jail superintendent S. Sreejith, assistant superintendent B.G. Arun and prison officer O.V. Raghunath were suspended following an order from the chief minister’s office.

The prison authorities had in a letter dated June 13 sought the input of the Kannur police commissioner about the 54 prisoners included in the list for remission as part of the 75th anniversary of Independence. The letter asked the police commissioner to produce the probation report of each prisoner recommended for remission of sentences before the state government.

Much to the shock of the Opposition — the Congress-led United Democratic Front that includes the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) formed by Chandrashekaran before his death — the list included the names of T.K. Rajeesh, K.K. Mohammed Shafi and S. Sijith, convicted in the case.

Chandrashekaran, a CPM rebel who questioned the changing ideology of the party and floated the RMP, was lynched on May 4, 2012, near Onchiyam in Kozhikode.

The autopsy found that he died because of 51 cuts and deep wounds on the head and face inflicted by machetes. A district court had later sentenced 12 of the 36 accused to life terms, although the prosecution had sought death sentences for all of them. Kerala High Court in February this year upheld the verdict.

Their names were included, ignoring a Kerala High Court order that they should not be considered for any leniency before serving 20 years in prison. The Opposition slammed the state government and the CPM for deflecting the blame by suspending the jail officials.

K.K. Rema, the widow of Chandrashekaran and the lone RMP MLA, on Thursday alleged that the “government is now trying to save its face by suspending the jail officials”. “Would the officials alone be able to include these names in the list? They won’t,” she said at a press meet, pointing at chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who holds the home portfolio.

“These people were included in the list in consultation with the jail and home department. The suspensions came just before the leader of the Opposition was about to make his submission on the matter,” she alleged.

Excise minister M.B. Rajesh, who responded on behalf of the CM, said the government was at no point planning to consider remission for the three convicts. “The Kannur central jail superintendent did not follow the guidelines in seeking the police report for remission (for the three men). As soon as this came to the attention of the government, the prison department head had sought an explanation from the jail superintendent,” he said.

“The additional chief secretary of the home department had on May 30 directed the prisons department to produce a revised list by strictly following the guidelines since ineligible persons were included in the original list (from Kannur prison),” Rajesh informed the House, amid Opposition protests.