The police team probing the murder of local CPM leader Shahjahan in Palakkad has arrested four accused. The arrest of Sabareesh, Sujeesh, Aneesh and Naveen was recorded on Wednesday. They were nabbed from different hideouts.

Eight accused have been named in the first information report (FIR). The police said they suspect the involvement of more people.

District Police Chief R Viswanath said local political dispute and personal enmity were the motive behind the murder.

“There was a dispute between Shahjahan and the accused after the latter left his party. It escalated into a rivalry,” Viswanath told media on Wednesday.

Accused went to bar after murder

The investigation team has found CCTV footage of the accused assembling at a bar at Chandranagar in Palakkad town on the day of the murder. A 20-member team headed by Palakkad DySP V K Raju is investigating the murder.

Three accused including Naveen reached the bar around 9.50 pm on Sunday. They had hacked Shahjahan between 9 pm and 9.30 pm. They went into hiding apparently after learning that Shahjahan had succumbed to injuries. The police gathered the CCTV footage based on Naveen's statement. The police also recorded the statement of the bar employees.

Meanwhile, the postmortem report revealed that Shahjahan died due to heavy bleeding from injuries. He had deep cuts on legs and hands.

Shahjahan, a CPM local committee member at Kunnangadu, was hacked to death by a bike-borne gang at Marutha Road on Sunday night. His relatives have alleged that he had received threats from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members.

His killers are BJP members who were earlier CPM activists, they added.

 

Shahjahan's brother-in-law claimed the murder was carried out with the knowledge of the BJP leadership.

Meanwhile, Shahjahan's mother S Sulekha said her son was killed by those who used to accompany him frequently. "I never expected my son to be betrayed like this," she said.

Indicating it was a planned crime, Shahjahan's friend Musthafa said he received a WhatsApp message warning that the CPM worker would be killed on August 15.

Musthafa said Naveen, who lives near his house, had sent the message.

The FIR states that political factors led to the murder. However, the Palakkad District Police Chief had earlier claimed that it could not be termed a political murder.

The murder on the eve of Independence Day has triggered a political controversy with the CPM alleging RSS-BJP hands behind the crime, even as opposition parties and some top Left leaders refused to make such claims stating it was premature to conclude so.

The BJP has refuted the charges against its activists.