Two CPM workers held in Nazeer assault case

Kannur: The police on Saturday arrested two CPM workers in connection with the murder attempt on CPM rebel leader C.O.T. Nazeer of Thalassery on May 18. The arrests of Sojith and Aswanth of Thalassery disproves the CPM claim that it has no role in the murder attempt.

Nazeer, who sustained serious injuries, has been recovering at a private hospital in Kozhikode. P. Jayarajan, former CPM Kannur district secretary, and M.V. Jayarajan, present secretary, had told the media that the CPM had no role in the murder attempt.

The police had registered a case against three CPM workers over the incident. Nazeer, former CPM local committee member and former municipal councillor, had rebelled against the party in Thalassery and had been attacking it in his Facebook posts creating tension. In a Facebook post addressing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Nazeer had said that a few local party men had intervened to hold back his passport at the police station to settle scores though the court had ordered to release the passport. His resort in Kasargod was also attacked.

Nazeer has not renewed his party membership since 2015 when he refused to fill a column in the form asking for his religion.