Two more RSS workers held for SDPI leader’s murder in Kerala

Authorities on Friday arrested two Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers in connection with last week’s murder of K S Shan, the Kerala secretary of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the Popular Front of India. 

The men were identified as K T Suresh, from Chalakudy, Thrissur district, and M Umesh, from Aluva in Ernakulam. 

The special investigation team which carried out the arrests said both men allegedly helped the accused escape and destroy evidence.

Shan, 38, and BJP OBC Morcha leader Renjith Sreenivasan, 44, were murdered within 12 hours in a radius of 10 kilometres in Alappuzha last Saturday and Sunday, sending shockwaves through the state. 

Additional Director General of Police Vijay Sakhre said none of those arrested in the cases was 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 the BJP leader’s murder and four in the SDPI leader’s killing.

The delay in arresting those who directly participated in the killings invited criticism. 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 the ruling CPI-M and the 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 had been hacked to death.