Kannur: The police on Sunday seized the car the killers of RSS worker Biju used to travel on the day of the attack. The Innova was taken into custody from Mavichery, near Payyannur.
The car parked on a roadside is suspected to have been abandoned by the killers, fearing the presence of police.
C. Biju, 12th accused in the murder of a CPM worker C.V. Dhanaraj in July, was hacked to death on Friday evening.
While returning from Mangalore, Biju, a painting worker, was picked by his friend Rajesh Pandara Valappil, the seventh accused in the same case, from Pazhayangadi railway station. When the duo reached near Palakkode bridge in Ramanthali, they were hit by the silver colour Innova car. Rajesh gave his statement to the police that they first thought it was an accident and had a verbal clash with the driver.
While Rajesh moved to the driver, others in the car got out and hacked Biju, and upon sensing danger, Rajesh fled the scene, noticing a sticker on the back side glass of the car - GIRL.
He also said that there were seven people in the car. The police identified all of them. The police could track down the owner of the car - Binoy from Ramanthali who gives cars on rent, as per the statements of Rajesh.
Taliparamba DySP KV Venugopal confirmed that Binoy had given it on rent for a month for Rs 30,000. However, the police did not reveal the name of people taken into custody.
According to sources, Binoy rented the vehicle to Nidhin, from Ramanthali, who handed it over to Jijesh, also from Ramanthali. The details regarding the accused were received based on their statements. Forensic team that inspected the vehicles confirmed that the Kasargod registration vehicle's (KL 60 L 7633) paint was received from Rajesh’s bike. The seized car had chilly powder inside and outside, probably to divert the sniffers.
Mr Biju was released on bail after he was remanded in connection with the murder of Dhanaraj. Hours after Dhanaraj’s murder, a BMS leader C.K. Ramachandran was killed in the same area in retaliation.
However, the friends of Dhanaraj were reportedly not happy with the retaliation, and Biju’s killing was known to be locally motivated, though the suspected people have links with DYFI. Mr Dhanaraj’s killing was a shocker to the CPM in their stronghold, and the police is also trying to avert any more attacks in the same direction.
