The Kerala CPI(M)’s defences and alleged misinformation campaign over Wednesday’s brutal murder of BJP-RSS worker Chomantavida Ezhuthan Santhosh (52) of Andalur in Kannur’s Dharmadom Assembly constituency represented by Marxist Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan collapsed on Saturday with the arrest of six party activists but the CPI(M) leadership continued to deny any role in the crime.
Rejecting effectively the CPI(M) claim that Santhosh was murdered following a family dispute, the police confirmed that it was indeed a political murder and that tension prevailing in Andalur area between CPI(M) and BJP-RSS activists had led to the killing. The arrested Marxists have admitted to the police that Santhosh was killed out of political rivalry, according to sources.
The police had taken the six Marxists-Mithun (26), Rohith (28), Prajul (25), Shamil (26), Ajesh (28) and Rijesh (26) -into custody on Thursday and Friday and registered their arrest on Saturday. Those behind the conspiracy and those who had committed the crime could be among those arrested and there were eight persons behind Santhosh’s murder, the police said.
A detailed probe was necessary to find out whether the CPI(M) leadership had prior knowledge about the crime, they said. Santhosh, BJP’s booth president and former Mukhya Shikshak of the local RSS Shakha, was hacked to death by a gang of CPI(M) workers late Wednesday night inside his house in Andalur. He had suffered 20 hack wounds.
Police sources said the Andalur area had been witnessing tension between CPI(M) and BJP for quite some time in connection with the SFI-ABVP conflict at a nearby college. That Santhosh was a BJP candidate in the last local body election could have made him a target of the political enemies, they said.
Even after the police confirmed that political reasons were behind Santhosh’s murder, the CPI(M)’s State and Kannur district leaderships continued to claim that this was not a political murder and that property-related family disputes had led to it but the BJP leadership termed the CPI(M)’s argument as one intended at derailing the probe and protecting the culprits.
“A family dispute over property had led to the attack and death. It is unfortunate that it is being given political colour,” said CPI(M)’s State committee member MV Jayarajan. Immediately after the incident, District CPI(M) secretary P Jayarajan had denied party’s role in the incident and alleged that problems within the BJP-RSS could have led to the killing.
Condemning the CPI(M) bid to term the murder as a result of family dispute, State BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan alleged that P Jayarajan and MV Jayarajan were trying to propagate lies.
“This was indeed a political murder and this murder was executed as per a plan. The CPI(M) is trying to protect the culprits by derailing the probe,” he said.
“Santhosh was nobody’s enemy. There was no situation that could have led to this murder. The CPI(M) itself has admitted this. Why was he killed thenIJ The CPI(M) should answer this question,” demanded State BJP general secretary K Surendran.
“The arrest of the six Marxists has proved the absurdity of the CPI(M)’s allegations and claims. It should offer an apology in this situation,” said BJP’s national executive member V Muraleedharan. Political murders are taking place in Kannur with the knowledge of the Chief Minister, who is also handling Home affairs, he said.
However, CPI(M)’s State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, a native of Kannur district, continued to claim that his party had nothing to with the murder and that those arrested were not partymen. The party would extend no help if anyone from it had any connection with the incident, he said. “The CPI(M) wants peace to prevail in Kannur,” he added.