THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Seven persons, including a woman, were arrested after the murder of two DYFI workers at Venjaramoodu near here came to light on Monday in a suspected fallout of political rivalry between CPM and Congress workers. And on Tuesday, senior CPM leader and Industries Minister E P Jayarajan gave the case a new political spin by alleging that the accused have close links with Congress leader Adoor Prakash. The Attingal MP, however, refuted the allegations. CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan too had accused the Congress of high-leve l conspiracy.
DYFI workers Mithilaj, 30, and Haq Muhammed, 24, were fatally hacked while they were going to the former’s house on his two-wheeler on Sunday night. Madapuram native Prija is the woman nabbed, for allegedly providing hideout for the accused. Jayarajan alleged one of the accused (Shajith) had contacted Adoor Prakash over phone after the incident and added that his role in the conspiracy should be probed. “The conspiracy behind the murder has to be probed.
The telephone conversation shows the accused had informed Adoor Prakash the goal had been achieved. Those arrested in the case have contacts with the top brass of the party. The Congress has formed murder squads in all districts,” Jayarajan alleged. Soon after he made the statement, DYFI came out with a voice clip in which one of the accused was heard saying that it was the Congress leader who had helped them in a previous case of hacking another DYFI activist.
Prove charges, Adoor Prakash challenges CPM
ADOOR Prakash said CPM is trying to derail the probe and challenged the state government to prove the allegations against him. “It’s the responsibility of Jayarajan and CPM district secretary Anavoor Nagappan to prove that I had spoken to the accused. One of the accused in the case belongs to CITU. There is a concerted attempt to conceal this fact. There is no point in dragging the Congress into this case,” he said. The Congress leadership had vehemently denied its party workers’ involvement in the twin murder. The Opposition claimed they would not fall for the false propaganda by the CPM and t h e s t a t e government. Rural SP B Ashokan said political hatred was the motive behind the murders.
Seven persons have been arrested while one is in custody. Most of the arrested belong to Congress and INTUC, he said. DYFI activist Shaheen was attacked on April 4 by three of the accused --- Sajeev, Ajith and Shajith. Shaheen and another DYFI activist Faizal were again attacked on May 25. The accused were arrested and that prompted the youth to exact revenge, according to the police.
The remand report says the enmity between the youths belonging to LDF and UDF began during the culmination of the political campaigning of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The conspiracy to kill the DYFI youths was hatched at a farm house at Pullambara Muthikavu.