Kozhikode: In a development that has put the CPM on the defensive, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged fake “Kafir Screenshot” case linked to the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Vadakara has arrested a local DYFI leader.

Jithin Bhaskar, a DYFI block committee member in Vadakara, was taken into custody on Tuesday evening following a forensic examination of his mobile phones. The arrest comes days after the SIT questioned him based on a statement reportedly given by another local leader, Ribesh Ramakrishnan, who told investigators that Jithin had shared the controversial screenshot in a CPM workers' WhatsApp group named “Vadakara Squad.” Jithin is said to be the admin of the group.

Police sources indicated that Jithin was a member of several WhatsApp groups created by local CPM leaders as part of the party's election campaign machinery in the Vadakara region.

The controversy erupted weeks before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when a screenshot of an alleged WhatsApp message surfaced on social media in the Vadakara constituency. The message was falsely attributed to Muhammad Kasim P, Kozhikode district secretary of the Muslim Students' Federation (MSF). The message read: “Shafi is a pious young man who offers namaz five times a day, while the other is a non-Muslim ‘Kafir’ woman candidate. Whom should we vote for? Let us think.”

The message referred to the electoral contest between CPM candidate KK Shailaja and Congress leader Shafi Parambil, who went on to win the constituency by a margin of 1,14,506 votes.

During the election campaign, the screenshot was widely circulated by Left leaders and supporters, including CPM MLA KK Lathika, through Facebook posts and WhatsApp groups associated with the Left. The circulation of the post intensified political tensions in Vadakara, triggering allegations of communal polarisation and hate propaganda.

Following the controversy, local CPM leader P Bhaskaran Master lodged a complaint with the Vadakara police, leading to the registration of a case against Muhammad Kasim. However, Kasim and the MSF leadership strongly denied any involvement and demanded a comprehensive probe to identify those responsible for creating and circulating the fabricated content. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) also alleged that the conspiracy had been orchestrated by the CPM.

A preliminary police investigation reportedly found that Muhammad Kasim had no role in the creation or dissemination of the post. A report later submitted before the Kerala High Court is understood to have pointed to the involvement of pro-Left cyber groups in spreading the fabricated screenshot. Despite this, the police subsequently closed the case, citing a lack of evidence.

After the UDF government assumed office, Kuttiadi MLA Parakkal Abdulla approached Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, seeking a fresh and detailed investigation into the matter.

Reacting to Jithin Bhaskar's arrest, Muhammad Kasim said that both Jithin and Ribesh were only involved in sharing the screenshot and that the actual masterminds remained unidentified.

“Jithin and Ribesh merely circulated the screenshot. The SIT must identify those who originally created the fake image. I believe prominent CPM leaders were behind the conspiracy, and the investigation should uncover their role,” Kasim said.