The indefinite fast by Congress leader K. Sudhakaran here, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the murder of Youth Congress worker S.P. Shuhaib, will end on February 27 in response to the decision of the State leadership of the Congress to take the legal route for a probe by the Central agency.
The fast, launched by Mr. Sudhakaran on February 19, would end here at 3 p.m. on Tuesday. The party leadership feels that the fast mobilised public outrage against the murder of the youth leader and the culture of political violence. It is also viewed as an agitation that saved the police investigation from being derailed.
‘Political victory’
“The fast started at a time when there were planned attempts to weaken the investigation,” District Congress Committee president Satheeshan Pacheni said.
The public support for the fast put pressure on the government and the police which led to the arrest of four more accused, he said, adding that it was a political victory.
‘Delay in arms recovery’
The party leadership alleged that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was trying to sabotage the investigation. In support of the allegation, the party cited the delay in recovery of weapons used by the assailants of Shuhaib.
After the party leadership’s decision to call off the fast, Mr. Sudhakaran told reporters that the CPI(M) district leadership was involved in the murder.
The Chief Minister was not willing to order a probe by the CBI because of the apprehension that the agency would trace those who despatched the killers.
“The CPI(M) has become a factory producing killers and we cannot close that factory without booking those who are running it,” he said.
Akash M.V., one of the arrested who allegedly led the attack on Shuhaib, was closely associated with CPI(M) district secretary P. Jayarajan, he said. The youth could not be expected commit the murder without the knowledge of Mr. Jayarajan. He also said that the car used by the killers was taken into custody from a house at Aroli, located near the house of CPI(M) leader E.P. Jayarajan.
The police team was yet to invoke 120-B (conspiracy) of the IPC to book those who had planned the murder, he said.
