KANNUR: After a lull, the spectre of violence has returned to haunt Kannur. An RSS worker was hacked to death at Palakode in Ramanthali panchayat near Payyanur on Friday. According to the police, the deceased has been identified as Choorakadu Biju, 34.
Biju was attacked by a gang near Palakode bridge around 4 pm, the investigators said. Though he was taken to the Pariyaram Medical College Hospital, he was declared brought dead.
“We have launched a hunt for the culprits,” said a police officer. “As of now, we only know the murder was committed by a gang in an Innova. We don’t know what led to the murder, but we are looking at all possible angles,” he said.
The police said Biju and his friend were travelling on a motorcycle when they were run down by an Innova. A gang alighted from the vehicle and hacked him on the neck. The deceased is the 12th accused in the murder of CPM worker C V Dhanaraj. The latter was killed by a gang on July 11 last year.
Within two hours of his death, BMS local leader K C Ramachandran of Anoor was hacked to death in front of his family members. Following a spate of killings, it was decided to end political violence at an all-party meeting in February.
The deceased is the RSS mandal karyavahak of Kakkampara. He is survived by his father Purushothaman and mother Narayani. Police have beefed up security in the area following the incident.
Meanwhile, the BJP has called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Kannur district and Mahe on Saturday in protest against the murder of an RSS worker near Payyanur. BJP district president P Sathyaprakash alleged the murder was a result of a conspiracy hatched by the CPM top brass with the blessings of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
“The CPM is trying to annihilate the Sangh Parivar in the district. Both the police and the district administration have been irresponsible in tackling violence,” he said. The BJP leadership has also called for the deployment of Central forces in Kannur.
Impose AFSPA on Kannur, demands Kummanam
T’Puram: BJP state chief Kummanam Rajasekharan said on Friday Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) should be clamped in Kannur to deal with the violent situation prevailing there. In the wake of the murder of an RSS worker allegedly by CPM workers on Friday, Kummanam told mediapersons the state government could not control criminals in Kannur.