Three more Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] workers were arrested on Saturday by the police team investigating the murder of Youth Congress worker S.P. Shuhaib at Edayannur here.
The arrested have been identified as Askar, 26, Akhil, 23, natives of Therur, near Edayannur; and Anwar, 23, from nearby Thillankery. The three were nabbed from Veerajpetta in Karnataka on Friday night.
With the latest arrests, the number of arrested in the murder case has gone up to five.
Akash Thillankery and Rijin Raj, CPI(M) workers, had been arrested earlier. Shuhaib was hacked to death at his native place at Edayannur here on February 12.
The police said Askar had been directly involved in the murder, while Akhil and Anwar made arrangements, including hiring of vehicles used for the crime.
“We raided many places, including in other States, on the basis of specific intelligence,” District Police Chief Shiva Vikram G. said. The probe team has identified eight people who were directly involved in the crime, including five who carried out the attack and three who planned it.
In police custody
The officers said that despite the efforts to demoralise them by allegations of bias in the investigation, the team could make much progress with the probe.
Meanwhile, Akash and Rijil, who had been remanded in judicial custody, were given in police custody for four days for questioning by the Judicial First Class Magistrate here on Saturday.
