Mansoor’s brother Muhasin, who is undergoing treatment, said that his brother’s murder was a conspiracy involving the CPM. Youth League member Mansoor was hacked down by assailants on early Wednesday morning, and Muhasin alleged that around 20 locals are behind the attack. The latter added that the group attacked them under the leadership of DYFI leader K Suhail and that he knows more than 20 people in the group apart from Sreerag and Shinos. The group had targeted me, said Muhasin, who was a UDF booth agent, to a Malayalam news channel.
Meanwhile, the Muslim League has demanded that the probe into Mansoor’s murder be shifted from Crime Branch. A 15-member team led by DySP Ismail is investigating the case. They claim that the DySP currently probing the case is inclined to the ruling CPM, and they add that attempts are now being made to rescue the accused in the case. The league alleges that no accused have been arrested for three days because of the conspiracy between the police and the CPM. The league is demanding that the case be handed over to a senior IPS officer.
Meanwhile, a protest rally will be held in Panoor tomorrow to protest the murder and Kerala Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala will inaugurate the event. Leaders including Kunhalikutty and K Sudhakaran will reach Panoor. The crime branch team investigating the case will visit the spot today. According to police, 25 people, including the chief planner, DYFI leader K Suhail, carried out the attack. Of these, 11 were identified. Everyone is in hiding except the arrested Shinos. Police recovered a firearm and a mobile phone from the scene. On the other hand, 24 people have been arrested in connection with the burning of CPM offices and shops by Muslim League activists during the mourning procession. Kannur City Police Commissioner R Illanko said the culprits in the murder case and the ensuing violence would be caught soon.
Kannur MP K Sudhakaran said that the investigation team investigating the Panoor murder case should be changed. “Why do the police not charge the accused under UAPA in the case? This is the first indication of bias in the case. There is no hope of getting justice from the police and there was criminal negligence on their part. All but two members of the probe team are members of the CPM criminal gang,” he said, adding that an investigation is carried out by honest IPS officers, and alleged that the CPM had intervened to promote DySP Ismail.
“The police said they have identified ten of the accused, so why not arrest anyone? The only person in custody was handed over to the officials by the locals, and he has not been properly questioned. However, the defendants in the case were beaten,” said Sudhakaran, adding that if the police don’t charge the accused under UAPA then they would go to court.
K Sudhakaran alleged that there was a conspiracy in the incident. “Messages on social media are evidence of conspiracy. Panoli Vatsan’s response that he did not go there on the day of the incident is evidence of the conspiracy. Akash Thillenkery was present in Panur and witnesses will be produced if necessary. How Mansoor was killed is similar to the murder of Mattanur Shuhaib and the presence of the Shuhaib murder accused in the Mansoor case is evidence of conspiracy,” he said.
“How long will the CPM continue this killing? Seeing the statements of CPM leaders makes me feel sympathetic for them. The UDF will not cooperate with the investigation. The CPM and the police should not think that it would be contained,” added Sudhakaran.
The Crime Branch has often been accused of being a state tool to save their faces, especially in regards to the ongoing gold and dollar smuggling case. The recent promotion of Police Association general secretary CR Biju had come under fire as it blatantly violated the protocols. Moreover, sources claim that Biju’s promotion was a return gift for saving the government’s face in the gold smuggling case.
