KOZHIKODE: A surge in old case files, crime reports, and fragmented memories are flooding social media timelines across northern Kerala, where incidents long buried in court records are being pulled back into public discourse, reshaping political conversations after the recent elections.
Experts note that old cases, such as the 2014 murder of Shibin, instances of retaliatory violence, and other criminal episodes are being shared online, often stripped of context or verification. This trend, they warn, risks deepening mistrust among communities that have coexisted peacefully.
One such incident being revisited is the 2001 murder of Eenthullathil Binu in Nadapuram. The case, which had been a flashpoint in the region’s political and communal landscape, has been used again to accuse each other.
Meanwhile, a fresh controversy has emerged over alleged police excess in Thiruvallur, near Vadakara. A formal complaint submitted to the IG (North Zone) accuses officials of illegal action, human rights violations, and misuse of authority. Youth Congress (YC) and Youth League leaders said “There is a deliberate attempt to target us through communal narratives while suppressing democratic protest.”
The complaint, filed by former district panchayat member V P Dulkifil, alleges that police repeatedly entered the house of a young woman, Ashmi, who had recently given birth and was caring for a two-week-old infant.
According to the petition, officers visited the house multiple times a day, including late at night and early morning, citing that her husband was an accused in a case. But eventually CPM local leaders turned to social media to abuse YC workers. Dulkifil said, “We reached the house and questioned police action which is purely inhuman.” The complaint stated that leaders were insulted, and cases were later registered against them.
Dulkifil said that sub-inspectors Sreejith and Deepthi V V, along with other officers from Vadakara police station, filed non-bailable charges against him and others, accusing them of obstructing official duty.
Leaders from the CPM Kozhikode district committee also expressed concern over the trend of reviving past incidents for political purposes. “Old cases and painful chapters from our region’s history are being selectively brought back and distorted on social media to create divisions,” a district leader said. “This does not serve truth or justice-it only deepens polarization,” he said.
