ALAPPUZHA: A special investigation team led by district crime branch DySP K V Benny has arrested nine persons in connection with the murder of SDPI leader K S Shan. Seven people, who allegedly have a direct connection with the murder, were arrested on Saturday and two others, who helped the killer gang, on Sunday. The police have not yet arrested the persons directly involved in the murder of BJP leader Renjith Sreenivasan.
The arrested are O S Athul, 27, of Ottakandathil house in North Aryad; K Vishnu, 28, of Thaiveli house in Komalapuram; D Dhanesh, 25, Kizhekkevelikkakathu house at South Aryad; K U Abhimanyu, 27, of Kattuveliyil house at Kattoor in Mararikulam; K U Sanand, 36, of Kunnemmelveli house at Ponnad in Mannanchery; P V Pranav, 28, of Pranavam house at Ponnad; and P K Sreeraj, 30, of Padinjareveli house at Mannanchery.
Two others who helped assailants escape after the murder were nabbed from Thrissur. They are Sudheesh 49, of Kallankunnel house at Muttuthadi, Thrikkoor, Thrissur, and Umesh, 27, of Mangalath house at Muttuthadi. A total of 14 people were arrested in connection with the murder of Shan and all are BJP-RSS activists, police said.
Shan, SDPI state secretary and resident of Mannanchery, was murdered around 8pm on December 18 and Renjith Sreenivasan, OBC Morcha state secretary and resident of Alappuzha municipality area, was murdered around 6 am the next day.
The SIT appointed for the investigation of the murder of Renjith had arrested five SDPI men earlier, but they had only helped the killer gang and were not directly involved. At least 12 members of the gang barged into Renjith’s house as he was about to go for a morning walk and killed him. The police have spread the net to other states to nab the elusive assailants.