The Kerala Police on Monday arrested two of the seven CPI(M)-DYFI workers/sympathisers, who had allegedly hacked to death a local RSS leader Choorakkad Biju (34) on May 12, even as the State BJP found itself in a difficult situation over the scathing criticisms launched by some of its top leaders against Governor P Sathasivam for not acting in a way, which they thought was appropriate, over the incident.
Those arrested on Monday were second accused Reneesh, who along with first accused Anoop had hacked Biju, 12th accused in the case pertaining to the murder of CPI(M) activist CV Dhanaraj last July, to death, and seventh accused Jyothish, who had taken on rent the Toyota Innova car which the gang had used to waylay Biju.
According to the police, Reneesh, who was a close friend of murdered Marxist Dhanaraj, has already admitted to the crime. He told them that Biju was murdered as an act of revenge for killing Dhanaraj. The police said all the seven members of the killer gang were Payyannur natives and were workers or sympathisers of CPI(M) and DYFI.
The gang had attacked Biju, a painting worker and RSS Mandal Karyavahak in Ramanthali, Payyannur, when he was on his way home on a motorbike driven by his friend Rajesh. The killers attacked him after hitting the bike with the Innova they were travelling in at Palakkod near Pazhayangadi, Payyannur. Biju died on the spot.
According to Reneesh’s admission, there was a month-long conspiracy behind the killing of the RSS leader. Reneesh, a truck driver, told the police that they had taken the Innova on rent almost a month ago for with the specific goal of killing Biju. They had made an unsuccessful attempt to kill Biju earlier but the RSS leader or his associates had not known about it.
“The probe is progressing. We are confident of arresting all those responsible for the crime without delay,” a member of the police team probing the murder said from Thalipparamba, Kannur. The official said the fact that all the seven members of the gang were CPI(M) workers or sympathisers “need not mean that the party had any knowledge of the plan to kill Biju”.
According to the police, four men of the gang including Reneesh and Anoop had been directly involved in the murder. They also said that none of the accused could have fled from the Payyannur region.
Meanwhile, the Kerala BJP was on Monday seen struggling hard to get out of the controversy two of its general secretaries had triggered in the past two days with their intense criticisms against Governor Justice Sathasivam for not taking the action they thought was appropriate in connection with the incident.
BJP general secretary MT Ramesh had criticised Sathasivam with his statement, “There are several actions a Governor can take. The question is whether he can do that,” while Sobha Surendran, another general secretary, said that if the Governor was afraid of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and could not take any action “he should vacate his chair.”
Faced with intense attacks in the Assembly from both the CPI(M)-led ruling party and Congress-led Opposition over the BJP leaders’ criticisms against Governor, lone BJP MlA O Rajagopal said, “Those statements should be seen merely as emotional responses of young leaders.”
In the Assembly, Chief Minister Pinarayi accused the BJP of trying to threaten the Governor in order to make Central intervention possible in Kerala while Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said, “The Governor is not a tool in the BJP’s hands.” Senior Congress legislator KC Joseph asked, “Does the BJP think that the Governor is a servant at their houseIJ”
At the same time, the CPI(M) and its Chief Minister came under intense attack in the Assembly over the brutal murder of RSS leader Biju in Payyannur. Blaming both the CPI(M) and RSS for the recurring incidents of violence in Kannur, the Opposition alleged that the two sides were engaged in a murder contest.