Palakkad: The Mannarkkad police on Monday arrested five CPI men in connection with the murder of IUML activist Safeer, 22, on Sunday night. Safeer, son of Siraj, a Mannarkkad municipal councillor of Kunthippuzha, was stabbed to death by three assailants who barged into his textiles shop at Kodathipadi at Mannarkkad at 9 p.m. The arrested persons are residents of Kunthipuzha in the neigbourhood of Safeer.
Though IUML workers said political rivalry led to the murder, the police attributed it to personal issues. The arrested are Muhammed Basheer, Rashid, Subuhan, Ajith and Sherbin. They had crossed over to the CPI from the IUML a few months ago. The hartal called by the UDF in Mannarkkad on Monday turned violent with the IUML workers attacking several vehicles. The windshield of the car of a news channel was damaged. Several private buses that conducted services were blocked and the passengers were asked to alight on the roads. The police registered cases against 15 IUML men for the violence.
