Even as the investigation into the murder of Youth Congress worker Shuhaib at Edayannur, near Mattannur, here late February 12 is under way, the district police are under pressure with the Congress leadership alleging that the delay in arresting the assailants is suspicious.
The allegation levelled by Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala that the delay in arresting the culprits raised suspicion about attempts on the part of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] to produce ‘proxy’ accused has left the police in an unenviable situation as the four assailants, allegedly CPI(M) workers who came in a car and hacked the youth leader to death, were yet to be identified. Police officers here remain tight-lipped about the investigation amid the allegations about the neutrality of the police in the district.
“There is progress in the investigation into the murder,” said Iritty Deputy Superintendent of Police Prajeesh Thottathil. The details of the investigation could not be disclosed at this stage as it would adversely affect the probe, he said.
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Police sources said the investigation could not achieve any breakthrough in identifying the assailants and tracing their hideouts. It was apparently a meticulously planned murder, they said adding the spot of the murder was also ideal for the assailants to escape through uninhabited routes.
The delay in the arrest of the assailants in the Shuhaib murder case is contrasted with the arrest of four Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) workers involved in the murder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker Shyama Prasad at Kommeri here on January 19. The four who had come in a car and tried to escape to Karnataka after the murder could be arrested within two hours of the crime.
Shuhaib had been murdered by a four-member group which travelled in a car.
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The Congress leadership here is all set to highlight the murder of Shuhaib as an evidence of the CPI(M)’s ‘red terror’ in the district.
The 24-hour fast by District Congress Committee president Satheeshan Pacheni from Wednesday was planned as the beginning of that campaign.
Senior Congress leader K. Sudhakaran, in his address at the venue, demanded that the District Collector and District Police Chief ensure justice to the family of the deceased by bringing the murderers before the law.