Kannur: Stray incidents of violence occurred in Mahe and suburbs on Tuesday following the killings of CPM leader Kannippoyil Babu, 45, and RSS worker Umbarakkachellayil Shamoj, 41, both natives of Palloor, Mahe, on Monday night. The bodies of Babu and Shamoj were taken out in processions before they were cremated on Tuesday evening after post-mortem. The CPM processionists pelted stones at BJP offices and also set ablaze a patrol jeep of Puduchery police.
Babu was CPM Palloor local committee member and former Mahe municipal councillor. He was killed around 9. 30 p.m. RSS worker Shamoj, an auto driver of the locality, was hacked about 20 minutes after the attack on Babu. Babu died on the spot and Shamoj on the way to hospital. The police identified eight RSS workers, including O.P. Rajeesh, Masthan Rajesh, Karikkunnel Suni and Magneesh, involved in the murder of Babu. He was blocked by four people while he tried to enter his home while the other four hacked him down, according to the FIR. Four persons took part in the murder of RSS worker Shamoj, the police said.
Babu is survived by his wife Anitha, children Anamika, Anupriya and Anunand. Shamoj leaves his wife Deepa and son Abinav. The BJP workers protested at Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, in the afternoon alleging that the police and hospital authorities were holding up the body of Shamoj after conducting post-mortem. The police has intensified patrolling in Mahe and Kannur.
The hartal called by the CPM was complete. Shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed. Policemen from AR camp have been deployed and special patrolling teams were roped in to check violence. Raids and vehicle checks have been intensified. CPM Kannur district secretary E.P. Jayarajan asked the police to investigate the links of some RSS leaders in the murder of Babu. He also criticised the killing of Shamoj.
