Shemaj, an autorickshaw driver, was pulled out of his vehicle and hacked to death by a six-member gang at New Mahe near Kannur.Kannur: Three CPM workers have been arrested in connection with the murder of BJP activist Shamej at New Mahe earlier this month.
The accused were nabbed from a lodge at Vadakara on Friday. It is suspected that they had direct involvement in the murder.
Shamej was killed barely an hour after CPM leader Babu Kannipoyil was hacked to death in Palloor on May 6, in an apparent retaliatory attack.
Shemaj, an autorickshaw driver, was pulled out of his vehicle and hacked to death by a six-member gang at New Mahe near Kannur.
The police had earlier arrested three men in connection with Babu's murder - Nijesh P K, Jerin Suresh and Sarath P K.
The BJP had alleged that the arrest of the accused was delayed as the ruling CPM interfered in the murder case. The latest arrests come after nearly two weeks of Shamej's killing.
New Mahe comes under Kannur district and is near Mahe, a former French colony that is located between Thalassery in the politically volatile Kannur district and Vadakara in Kozhikode district.
Both CPM and BJP had observed a hartal in Kannur district and Mahe on May 8, protesting the killings.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had visited Babu's house on Saturday night and spent some time with the bereaved family members.
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