Congress leader and former Minister K. Sudhakaran will start a 48-hour fast in front of the Collectorate here on February 19 demanding the arrest of the assailants of Youth Congress functionary Shuhaib Edayannur and those allegedly involved in the conspiracy behind the murder.
At a press meet here on Friday, Mr. Sudhakaran said he would start the fast on Monday morning. If the accused were not arrested within the fasting period, it would be extended as an indefinite hunger strike. The police were yet to arrest even one accused in the murder case.
Alleging that the police were not prepared to do even a preliminary investigation, he said they had not yet recorded the statement of Shuhaib’s father.
“The hands of the police in the district are tied as the affairs of the district police are controlled by party leader M.V. Jayarajan from the Chief Minister’s Office,” Mr. Sudhakaran alleged. An independent agency should probe the murder case, he said. Reiterating his allegation, he said there had been conspiracy in a local jail and at local-level party meetings to eliminate Shuhaib. He alleged that on the day of the murder, CPI(M) local leaders patrolled the area to take the assailants to safe havens. The CPI(M) leadership had assigned the killing job to criminals from outside the area who had not been familiar with the escape routes in the area, he said. The Congress leader said some convicts had been allegedly released on parole from the jail here for executing the murder.
He had information that convicted prisoners such as ‘Kodi’ Suni had been allowed to go outside the jail during night time by CPI(M) through prison officers loyal to the party, he said. He lamented the silence of cultural leaders on the issue.
