The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has denied any involvement in the murder of 22-year-old Mansoor, an Indian Union Muslim League activist, at Koothuparamba on Tuesday.
CPI(M) Kannur district secretary M.V. Jayarajan termed the murder unfortunate. He said the murder was not premeditated and was committed in an area where the CPI(M) had no influence.
Mr. Jayarajan said IUML activists assaulted CPI(M) member C. Damodaran while he was returning with an elderly woman voter. The DYFI Peringalam zonal committee member Othayoth Swarup was also attacked. Both were seriously injured, he said.
He further said that around 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday, Shanos, a member of the DYFI Peringalam zonal committee, was abducted by IUML workers. Mansoor was killed amid clashes that broke out when CPI(M) activists arrived to take the injured Shanos to hospital.
He said a case has been registered against two IUML activists for attacking LDF supporters in the election. All these, however, did not justify the murder, he said.
“Let the police find the culprits through an impartial investigation. Political leaders are intervening to reduce such conflicts in Kannur. All parties are cooperating. There will be a collective effort to bring peace,” Mr. Jayarajan said, adding that the election was generally peaceful.
However, KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran, who visited the house of the victim on Wednesday, termed the killing premeditated. He criticised the delay in zeroing in on the culprits and added that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan must make clear his stance on the issue.
Conspiracy alleged
KPCC working president K. Sudhakaran alleged a conspiracy behind the murder. “Mansoor was killed because the Left was frustrated at its inability to make the expected progress in the election. If the LDF repeats such acts, our supporters will no longer stay passive,” he warned.
