One More Held in Connection with DYFI Activists' Killing in Kerala

Police on Friday arrested one more person, a local INTUC leader, who was absconding after two DYFI activists were hacked to death on Onam festival eve allegedly by Congress workers. With this, eight people have been arrested by the investigation team.

Earlier, police had arrested seven people, including a woman, who had allegedly helped the accused to escape after the crime. "We have arrested one accused from his hiding place near here. A total of eight have been arrested till now.

One more person is to be nabbed," the investigating officer said. Mithilaj (30) and Haq Muhammed (24) of the CPI (M)'s youth wing DYFI were fatally attacked with sharp edged weapons at nearby Venjaramoodu on Sunday night.

The killings are suspected to be a fallout of political rivalry between the CPI(M) and the Congress workers. The CPI(M), heading the ruling LDF coalition, had alleged that Congress and its MP Adoor Prakash were involved in the matter.

However, Prakash had dismissed all the allegations and challenged the government to prove the charges. DYFI state secretary A A Rahim Friday alleged the District Congress Committee members were "directly involved" in the conspiracy of double murder.

"The Congress leaders are trying to protect the culprits in this case and insulting the victims in order to save their face," Rahim said at a press meet in Thiruvananthapuram. The CPI(M) had observed a black day on Wednesday when CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, cautioned party workers not to fall for the 'provocation' by the Congress.

"It's not the policy of CPI(M) to take two lives for the two lives lost. This is a plot by the Congress to destroy the peace prevailing in the state. They are trying to provoke the Left workers. We mustnot fall into their trap," he said.

The remand report filed in a local court on Tuesday said the root cause of the issue started on the eve of the 2019 Lok Sabha election when the accused, who are Congress workers, got into a scuffle with the DYFI workers. "The accused in this case had on May 25 attempted to murder a DYFI activist Faisal and was arrested," the report said.