Palakkad: In a likely tit-for-tat attack, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist was hacked to death at Melamuri in Palakkad Town on Saturday.
The incident occurred a day after the murder of a Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) functionary at Elappully.
On Saturday, Sreenivasan, 45, a former Sharik Shikshan Pramukh (physical training instructor) of the RSS, was hacked at a shop by six assailants who arrived on three bikes. Police have obtained cctv visuals of the assailants and the vehicle number of their bikes. The pillion riders were not wearing a helmet.
A witness claimed Sreenivasan was hacked over 20 times with swords.
Following the RSS leader's murder which happened in the afternoon, locals have closed shops in the nearby areas and the police have increased the security.
A massive manhunt has been launched by the police to nab the culprits who fled the scene after committing the murder.
ADGP (Law and Order) Vijay Sakhare will reach Palakkad town and camp there to coordinate with the investigation into the two political murders which took place within a span of 24 hours.
"Three companies of Kerala Armed Police-1 (KAP-1) have been directed to move to Palakkad," a senior police official said.
Around 270 members of the armed police battalion will camp in Palakkad as part of security measures.
Sreenivasan was targeted even as the whole Palakkad district is on security alert following the murder of SDPI functionary Subair.
Subair, 43, was hacked to death at Elappully in the district while he was returning home along with his father after offering prayers in a mosque on Friday afternoon.
The body of the PFI leader was handed over to his relatives after conducting an autopsy at the Palakkad District General Hospital. Subair's body was taken to his native place to conduct the last rites with a large number of SDPI and PFI activists accompanying it.
Meanwhile, police on Saturday reportedly took into custody four RSS workers in connection with the murder of Subair the previous day.
Police also have found the car in which the assailants of Subair fled after the crime. Several people have been questioned by the police in connection with the PFI leader's murder.
It is suspected Subair was murdered to avenge the November 2021 murder of RSS worker Sanjith.
Both Subair and Sanjith were done away with in a similar fashion. Both were riding bikes when the murderers arrived.
The latter's car rammed the bikes before hacking them to death in broad daylight on the road.
In December Alappuzha district witnessed similar revenge murders of SDPI and OBC Morcha activits in a span of few hours, the latter being an outfit of the BJP.