Kochi: The four Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) leaders who were taken into custody Monday morning in connection with the murder of Students' Federation of India (SFI) leader Abhimanyuy at the Maharaja's College in Ernakulam on July 1 were released from police custody towards evening.
The SDPI state president Abdul Majeed Faizi, vice-president MK Manoj Kumar, general secretary Roy Arakkal and district president VK Shaukat Ali, who were under police scanner, were picked up by the police outside the Ernakulam press club when they stepped out after addressing the media giving their version of the case.
Three drivers of their vehicles were also taken into custody. A huge posse of police was in the area.
Hartal called off
After the release of their leaders, the party called off the dawn-to-dusk hartal announced for Tuesday. The day will be observed as a black day in protest.
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Abhimanyu, who hails from Vattavada in Idukki district, was stabbed to death on the campus allegedly by the workers of Popular Front of India (PFI), its political outfit SDPI, and its student outfit Campus Front on the intervening night of July 1 and 2.
Did cops help Abhimanyu's killers escape?
The police have taken into custody 20 people, including SDPI Alappuzha district president Fahadh. The police had on Saturday night detained Adil, a member of the district committee of the Campus Front of India.
The cops also raided their houses Saturday night. One of the key accused Muhammed, a third-year student of the college, belongs to Alappuzha. This has prompted the police to detain and question leaders of the SDPI and PFI from the district.
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