MALAPPURAM: Nearly a week on since the brutal murder of Islam convert Pullani Faisal at Kodinhi in Malappuram, the investigating team on Sunday picked up eight BJP-RSS activists, including his brother-in-law in the case.
The accused-- Pullani Vinod,39 and Pullani Sajeesh,32, brothers-in-law of Faisal; Pullikal Haridasan,30; Pullikal Dineshan,39; Chanath Suni,39 ; Kalathil Pradeep,32; Kottayil Jayaprakash, 50, and Thayyil Nijeesh,27-- were picked up by the team headed by Kondotty Circle Inspector Muhammed Haneefa.
According to the investigators, Vinod along with the seven fellow arrested accused had hatched the plot to bump off Faisal and they sought the support of local BJP-RSS workers to execute the plan. However those, who actually carried out the hit job were yet to be apprehended, they said.
Faisal, whose original name was Anil Kumar before he embraced Islam in Saudi Arabia where he had been employed as a driver, was planning to fly back to the oil-rich Desert Kingdom when the cold-blooded murder took place. His wife Jesna alias Priya and their three children had also embraced Islam.