3 ABVP activists arrested for CPM office attack

Thiruvananthapuram: Even as the state police remain clueless about the attack on the AKG Centre held two months ago, they had a breakthrough in the stone pelting incident at the CPM district committee office here within 24 hours.

Three ABVP activists - Lal, Satheerthyan and Harishankar - were arrested in connection with the incident on Sunday. They are being questioned at the Thampanoor police station.

The police said the suspects were members of ABVP, the students union affiliated to the RSS. It is alleged that the attack on the party office, at around 2 am on Saturday, was in retaliation to a clash with CPM at Vanchiyoor a day before.

CPM had carried out a rally against the BJP and the UDF, which it claimed were obstructing the State's development.  

After the clash, the suspects had got admitted to a private hospital in the city. The BJP had claimed the youths were injured in the clash at Vanchiyoor.  

It is understood that the police checked over 20 CCTV footage from the hospital to ascertain their theory that the youths had sneaked out, pelted stones, and returned to the hospital.

Two cars, including that of CPM district secretary Anavoor Nagappan, were damaged in the attack. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan visited the district committee office to take stock of the situation.

Nagappan later claimed that nine youngsters on three bikes had launched the attack.

After the attack, the CPM had pointed fingers at the RSS with LDF Convener EP Jayarajan branding the suspects 'RSS criminals'.