THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Twelve persons were held on Sunday in connection with the murder of RSS basti Karyavahak S.L. Rajesh, 34 at Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. Most of the accused were detained early in the morning from an abandoned house in a rubber plantation on the outskirts of Kattakada. The accused identified as Manikuttan, Pramod, Vijith, Vipin and Aby had reportedly hacked the RSS leader, cut off his left hand and threw it away.
The others named Arun, Mony, Bayee and Shaiju had offered support to the suspects. All the arrests will be recorded on Monday. As per the police sources, the accused, soon after the hacking, escaped to the outskirts. Police first arrested Pramod and later Shaiju when they identified the location of accused. When police reached the spot, they tried to hide in a nearby church, but were held by devotees and police.
They were being questioned by a team under IG Manoj Abraham when reports last came in. Police officials and CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan claimed that the attacks were not polticially motivated. All the suspects had different political inclinations, he said. Minor violence where reported in the city at around the time of funeral procession, despite prohibitory orders being enforced in city until August 2. Rajesh was survived by parents, wife and two children, studying in kindergarden.
