Palakkad: A local leader of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) surrendered before the police on Monday in connection with the murder of Yuva Morcha Tarur panchayat secretary Arun Kumar.

Mithun, who is a member of the Pazhambalakkode regional committee of the DYFI, surrendered at the Alathur police station. With this, seven people have been arrested in the case. Six activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were nabbed earlier. (DYFI is the youth wing of the left party.)

A clash had broken out on the evening of March 2 in connection with the festival of the Mariamman Temple at Pazhambalakkode in the district. As two groups clashed, the police wielded baton to disperse them.

After the function, another clash broke out and Arun Kumar was stabbed. He succumbed to the stab injuries on the evening of March 11.

Palakkad District Police Chief R Vishwanath had clarified that it was not a political murder.

A dispute over the temple festival had led to the clashes and the murder, he stated.