A grocery shop owned by a Communist Party of India (Marxist) sympathiser near Taliparamba was damaged in a bomb attack and arson in the early hours of Saturday.
The shop run by CPI(M) sympathiser P. Pavithran at Parappul near Taliparamba came under attack at around 3 a.m. The culprits broke open the rolling shutters of the shop and hurled three country-made bombs into the shop. The police said the culprits also poured petrol inside the shop and lit fire, causing extensive damage to the shop.
The culprits are suspected to have lifted some of the valuable items kept in the shop before they set fire to it, the police said.
A refrigerator and grocery items were completely damaged in the fire.
The bomb detection squad and finger print experts examined the shop to collect evidence. Local MLA C.K.P. Padmanabhan visited the spot.
The police said an investigation was on to identify the culprits.
An Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) worker’s shop opposite to the grocery shop had been attacked in the past during the clashes between CPI(M) and IUML activists in and around Taliparamba. The area had also witnessed tension following incidents of violence involving the rival party workers.
