Kannur: Even as the CPI(M) has maintained that the murder of two Youth Congress workers at Periya in Kerala's Kasaragod district last week was borne out of personal feud between the victims and the prime accused, social media evidence suggests the crime was pre-planned. Manorama News investigation reveals the accused in the double murder case had indeed planned to kill Kripesh to avenge a slight by him.
Kripesh had reportedly invited the wrath of the local comrades after he allegedly criticised a fundraiser for the family of slain SFI leader Abhimanyu, who was killed in Ernakulam last year. This event was held by the SFI, the students' wing of the CPI(M), at the school in Kalliyode, the native place of the murdered Youth Congress workers and the accused in the case.
Conspiracy to kill Kripesh is evident in Facebook posts of Ashwin, the fifth-accused, in the case. His Facebook posts clearly points to such a plot. Sensing it, Kripesh had complained about threat to life with Bekal Police and cyber cell.
Ashwin’s brother had posted a message against Kripesh along with his picture. Commenting below this post, Ahswin had wrote, ‘he is ready to die, we are ready here too.’
Several other comments too had sought Kripesh’s death, some indirectly. ‘Periyayile Sakhaakal’ page on Facebook called him the scapegoat of Kalliyode, along with a link to his profile. This post too has similar comments.
Several pro-CPM WhatsApp groups too had messages against Kripesh. His complaint to the police included screenshots of these threats.
Sarathlal, who was murdered along with Kripesh last Sunday, too received such threats from fake Facebook messages and phone calls, said his relatives and friends.
Earlier, incriminating evidence linking CPI(M) district-level leaders to the crime had emerged. Moreover, embarrassing the party further, a video, which was widely circulated on social media on Thursday, showed its local functionary making open threats against Congress workers at Kallyot at a public function on January 7.