Shuhaib murder case: Family, UDF not to go back on demand

Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur: The UDF has decided to take up the  protest seeking a CBI probe into the murder of Youth Congress leader S. P. Shuhaib.   Congress leader K. Sudhakaran, who has been staging a hunger strike in front of the Kannur collectorate,  will end the fast on Tuesday.  Youth Congress state president Dean Kuriakose and vice-president C. R. Mahesh  ended their eight-day  fast in front of the secretariat here on Monday. KPCC president M. M. Hassan said after an emergency meeting of the UDF here  that the Congress will legally challenge Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's decision against a CBI probe. The UDF will also hold a day-and-night protest against the government's decision on March 3.

Mr Sudhakaran will end his fast in the presence of  former chief minister Oommen Chandy and senior Congress leader Vayalar Ravi. The UDF will support  Shuhaib's family if his sisters decide to hold an indefinite fast demanding a CBI probe.  It  will also provide financial help to them in dealing the case legally, said Opposition Leader  Ramesh Chennithala. He said the weapons used in the killing of Shuhaib had not been traced yet.  Even if the Congress leaders try to commit suicide as a mark of protest, the LDF government will not act as they lack conscience, he said.

He  alleged that  the CPI's goondas had killed Safeer, Muslim League worker, at Mannarkkad on Sunday night. The perpetrators had recently joined the CPI from the CPM, he claimed. "The accused  had earlier stabbed a sub-inspector. I wonder whether CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran has been recruiting goondas into the CPI,"  he  added.

FAMILY TO   FAST:    Shuhaib’s family members said in Kannur that they would continue the hunger strike  demanding a CBI investigation into the  murder. Shuhaib’s father C.P. Muhammed and sister Silsila  said the police  investigation would not bring to light the real culprits behind the murder since all of them are CPM workers. “All the arrested persons belong to the CPM. The government has rejected a CBI investigation as CPM  leaders are behind it. We are ready to fast until the investigation is handed over to the CBI,” they said.