Stray incidents of violence in Kannur

Bombs thrown at VHP leader’s house, CPI(M)-affiliated library

Police personnel deployed in Kannur on Tuesday to strengthen law and order measures in view of the tension following the murder of a RSS functionary on Monday. Photo: S. K. Mohan

Sporadic incidents of violence marred the dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday to protest against the murder of RSS functionary E. Manoj at Kathirur here on September 1. The hartal was total.

Large posse of police personnel were deployed in different parts of the district in view of the tension and the funeral procession carrying the body.

All shops and other commercial establishments downed their shutters. Barring a few private vehicles, mostly two-wheelers, the roads were deserted.

The house of Vishwa Hindu Parishad district president K.O. Jayakrishnan at Mavilayi came under bomb attack at around 2 p.m.

Two window panes and a two-wheeler parked there were damaged in the attack. The police said the bombs were hurled by a group of men who came on two-wheelers.

Earlier in the morning, a group of alleged hartal supporters riding on two motorcycles threw country-made bombs at shops at Moonuperiya and Peralassery.

At Moonuperiya, the bomb was thrown at a library controlled by the CPI(M). Three people suffered minor injuries. A fish vendor’s stall at nearby Aadoor bridge also came under bomb attack. No one was injured.

CPI(M) offices at Kadachira, Thazhechovva, and Kizhuthalli came under stone-throwing attack, the police said.

Large number of BJP-RSS workers attended the funeral procession carrying the body to the house of the deceased. BJP leaders C.K. Padmanabhan, P.K. Krishnadas and K. Ranjith accompanied the body. BJP leaders K. Surendran and P.C. Mohanan, RSS leaders K.K. Balaranand Valsan Thillankeri were present.

The body was kept at Kannur and Thalassery for public viewing.

The body was cremated on a plot owned by the RSS, near Kathirur, in the afternoon. BJP State president V. Muraleedharan was present.

The police said that cases had been registered against eight CPI(M) workers in connection with the murder. The police said the FIR named a CPI(M) worker identified as Vikraman.

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has constituted a special team of police officers to probe the murder.

CPI(M) denies role

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) district secretariat in a release said the murder was unfortunate and the party had no role in it.