The special investigation team (SIT) on Friday arrested two workers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in connection with the murder of the state secretary of the Social Democratic Party of India, the political wing of the Popular Front of India, K S Shan on Saturday.
The arrested men have been identified as K T Suresh, boudhik pramukh of Chalakudy in Thrissur district and another worker M Umesh from Aluva in Ernakulam. The SIT said both were arrested for helping the accused to escape and for destroying evidence.
SDPI leader Shan (38) and BJP OBC Morcha leader Renjith Sreenivasan (44) were murdered within a span of 12 hours in a radius of 10 km in Alappuzha on Saturday and Sunday sending shockwaves through the state. The police later claimed that both were retaliatory killings.
Additional Director General of Police Vijay Sakhre said none of those arrested in both cases were directly involved in the killings but they had given logistic support to the assailants. “Both were well planned and executed killings. We have identified all those who were directly involved in the crime. Our teams are tracking them in neighbouring states,” he said. Five people were arrested in connection with BJP leader’s murder and four in SDPI leader’s killing.
The delay in arresting those who directly participated in the gruesome killings invited enough criticism to the police. The BJP has sought a central agency probe but the PFI said its workers were harassed and houses were raided by the police to satisfy Sangh Parivar outfits. “We are not satisfied with the ongoing probe. In Alappuzha ruling CPI(M) and SDPI are thick friends and they help each other. We want a central agency probe into recent killings of party leaders,” said party leader Sandeep Warrier adding in three months three RSS-BJP leaders were hacked to death.
Meanwhile police have started a crackdown on a section of social media users who were spreading fake news and false information to foment trouble. Many messages and post inciting communal trouble were surfaced after the twin murders.
“The admins of social media groups who permit discussion intended to incite communal hatred will be booked. The cyber wing of the police given strict instructions to book such people,” said state police chief Anil Kant in a statement. The DGP has also asked the special branch to prepare a list of criminal elements and history sheeter belonging to both camps. Police said 35 cases have been filed across the state and two persons arrested for spreading communal campaign.
