The police on Tuesday arrested eight people in connection with the murder of CPI(M) Marutharoad local committee member and Kunnamkad branch secretary Shajahan.
The CPI(M) local leader was hacked to death at Kunnamkad, Malampuzha, near here on Sunday night.
A special investigation team led by Palakkad DySP V.K. Raju arrested Sabareesh, Aneesh, Naveen, Sivarajan, Sidharthan, Sujeesh, Sajeesh, and Vishnu. They were being questioned by the police.
The police said the gang had split into three groups after the murder. The gang had assembled at a hotel at Chandranagar on Sunday afternoon before executing the murder around 9.30 p.m.
According to police sources, it was Naveen who procured weapons to kill Shajahan. Naveen had reportedly harboured animosity towards Shajahan for a long time. The police said they were closely investigating the political background of the accused.
The police sources said that it was Sabareesh who hacked Shajahan first. He aimed at Shajahan’s legs to ensure that he did not escape. Aneesh too joined Sabareesh in the murder when others stood around him with weapons.
Shajahan’s family said here that he had faced life threats from a group of people. Sabareesh, Aneesh and Naveen had reportedly threatened to kill Shajahan.
The family alleged that the murder was a planned one and that the BJP was behind it. According to the family members, the murder could not have been executed without the support of the BJP.
An FIR prepared on the basis of statements by several people, including Shajahan’s friend and colleague Sukumaran, said that the murder was a result of political rivalry.
The police said that the accused killed Shajahan knowing well that he was a local leader of the CPI(M).
BJP charge
Meanwhile, BJP State secretary C. Krishnakumar and district president K.M. Haridas alleged here on Tuesday that the murder was the result of an internecine strife within the CPI(M).
They said that Kunnamkad near Malampuzha was being treated by the CPI(M) as a party village without giving any freedom to any other political entities. They said all the accused were active workers of the CPI(M).
The BJP leaders condemned the statements by the CPI(M) leadership and described it as irresponsible and aimed at creating communal and political tensions. The CPI(M) had blamed the BJP for the murder.
They challenged the CPI(M) leadership to prove that the accused had BJP and RSS connection.
Mr. Krishnakumar also accused the police of behaving like DYFI workers. “The policemen who copied the CPI(M) statements in the FIR should hang up their uniform and don the DYFI shirts. They are an insult to the State,” he said.
