KOCHI: The police team probing the murder of SFI leader M Abhimanyu at the Ernakulam Maharaja’s College has identified the owners of the eight vehicles, including a car, allegedly used by the 15-member assailant gang which operated the killing. According to officers, of the eight two-wheelers recovered from the site four were registered at the Trippunitura sub- Regional Transport Office while three were from Mattancherry. The remaining one vehicle is owned by a native of Kothamangalam and the car belongs to a native of Cherthala in Alappuzha district.
An officer with the investigation team said a search is on to trace the vehicle owners, most of whom are absconding after abandoning the vehicles. Meanwhile, Anas, Kochi area secretary of the PFI, was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody. The police will soon file an application seeking his custody for a detailed interrogation. Anas, a native of Mattancherry, was arrested on Monday on charges of harbouring the assailants who attacked the SFI activists involved in the conspiracy to murder Abhimanyu.
Meanwhile, the department is verifying reports about an accused escaping to the Middle East through the Bengaluru international airport on the following day of the murder. The police had earlier sent alerts to all airports to prevent them from leaving the country. The police, which so far arrested seven persons in connection with the case, is currently on the lookout for six youths from Nettoor, who have gone into hiding. According to officers, some of these youths had earlier been arraigned as accused in the Muvattupuzha Palm-chopping case, but quitted later.
They had since been under constant surveillance of the law enforcement agencies and were not directly accused in any criminal cases. Considering the possibility of them leaving the state soon after the crime, search teams have been deployed in the neighbouring states as well. Meanwhile, sources hinted at the arrest of one more person in connection with the case in the coming days.
Police raids continue
Kannur: The police raids to nab the prime suspect in SFI leader Abhimanyu’s murder are continuing in the district, with searches conducted at Thalassery, Koothuparamba, Iritty and Pappinissery on Tuesday. It is following suspicion the key accused in the case is still holed up here the investigators intensified the raids. A team led by Town SI Sreejith Koderi is conducting the raids in Kannur town. On Monday, 20 SDPI workers were taken into custody from Athirakam, Chaladu, Thayatheru, Kannur city and Kannur town as a preventive measure.