Congress to seek CBI probe into Kannur murder

The Congress party in Kerala has decided to approach the High Court with a petition to seek a CBI probe into the killing of Youth Congress worker Shoaib in Kannur district, a party member said on Thursday.

Former Congress MP and State Minister K. Sudhakaran, who is leading the protest, said nothing was going to come out if the Kerala Police probed this murder, and hence "only a CBI probe would bring out the truth, for which we will go forward".

"I had intervened when Shoaib was jailed in a false case and we came to know that CPI-M had planned to eliminate him when he was in jail.

"I called a top jail officer and since he promptly acted, the plan was foiled. He was a target for the CPI-M and they eliminated him," said Sudhakaran.

Three days after the murder of Shoaib, the police continue to remain clueless. Though more than two dozen people have been questioned, no arrest has been made so far.

Thirty-year-old Shoaib was murdered on Monday night. The Kannur Congress unit blamed CPI-M activists, but they have denied the allegations.

Shoaib, along with a few others, was waiting in front of an eatery near Mattanur around 10.45 p.m. on Monday when four persons in a car threw bombs to create a scare.

Shoaib's friend, who was injured during the attack, told the media that Shoaib was slashed with a sword and "butchered".

"After Shoaib fell down, one of the attackers sat near him and butchered him, as if he (attacker) was a butcher engaged in cutting meat. I got injured when I tried to prevent the attack," said his friend.

Youth Congress President Dean Kuriakose who has reached Kannur said that the entire conspiracy in the murder would be revealed if the police arrested the former Secretary of senior CPI-M legislator E.P. Jayarajan, who belongs to the same place where the incident happened.

The Indian Union Muslim League on Thursday passed a resolution condemning the brutal act.

"The Left government's approach to this murder is not fair. What has surfaced now is that in each and every similar attack, the CPI-M is a party and this is a very serious issue.

"Speculations are that the real culprits are being allowed to escape," the IUML resolution read.

The Congress party has also decided to continue its dharna (protest) in Kannur till justice is served.

--IANS

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