KASARAGOD: The Crime Branch has arrested one more accused in connection with the murder of two Youth Congress workers Kripesh, 19, and Sarath Lal PK, 24, at Kalliyot near Periya on February 17.
A Subeesh, a headload worker affiliated to the CITU, was arrested at Mangaluru International Airport on Thursday morning, said an officer.
He is accused of being part of the ‘hit team’ that hacked the two Youth Congress activists. Subeesh, a resident of Pakkam, fled to Sharjah two days after the crime, said the officer. His arrest comes against the backdrop of the Crime Branch moving a local court to procure a red corner notice against him. Around 2.30 am, he was arrested when he landed at the Mangaluru airport.
With this, the Crime Branch has so far arrested 14 persons, including CPM member and main accused A Peethambaran. He had since been expelled from the party.
The other day, the Crime Branch arrested CPM Udma area secretary K Manikandan and CPM Periya local secretary N Balakrishnan. The two secured bail the same day. Another accused B Manikandan was also granted bail owing to health reasons. The 11 other accused are in custody.
The families of the victims, however, said the delayed arrest of CPM leaders was a hogwash to stonewall their demand to handover the case to the CBI. The High Court is hearing the families’ petition to hand over the case to the CBI. These arrests were an attempt to counter the allegations of police inaction, said Sarath Lal’s father Sathyanarayan.
Kripesh’s father Krishnan said now people will not accept the fact that the party had no role in the murder of the two youth. “We stand by our demand to hand over the case to the CBI,” he said.
The CPM, however, made it clear it will back Manikandan and Balakrishnan, politically and legally, in the case. The two were arrested after the police came under pressure following media reports and the campaign carried out by the Congress.