Kochi: The police team probing the murder of SFI leader Abhimanyu on Thursday detained Muhammad Rifa, one of the main accused in the case.

Rifa, a native of Kannur, was picked up from Bengaluru. He was absconding after the murder of the Students Federation of India leader on the campus of Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, on July 1.

An LLB student in Kochi, Rifa is a state-level leader of the the Campus Front, the student wing of the Popular Front of India.

He is accused of inviting the gang that stabbed Abhimanyu to death to the campus on the fateful night. J I Muhammed, another Campus Front leader in the college, was arrested recently by the police. Muhammed, who is also a third year BA Arabic student, allegedly organised the gang of 15 to 17 men comprising workers of Popular Front of India (PFI), its political offshoot SDPI and Campus Front, to attack SFI activists in the college campus early this month.

Earlier on Wednesday, the police had held Sanish,a native of Palluruthy, who is suspected of having direct involvement in the murder.

While Abhimanyu was stabbed to death, two other SFI activists suffered grievous injuries in the attack allegedly using sharp-edged weapons. The murder followed a dispute over a painting a graffiti on the campus.

Abhimanyu hailed from a labourers' family at Vattavada near Munnar in Idukki district. The CPM is building a new house for his family in the village.