Panur: One more CPM worker was arrested in connection with the April 6 murder of Youth League activist Paral Mansoor of Mookkilpeedika.
Police arrested Elikotheentavida Bijesh, 37, of Pullookkara after investigators found his involvement in the conspiracy that had led to the murder. So far, five people, including Bijesh, have been arrested in the case.
Bijesh was not in the preliminary list of suspects, though police believed he was present at the crime scene. Crime Branch police, while checking CCTV visuals, found him with a few others in front of a building, located on the way to Mansoor’s house. His arrest was recorded after a day-long interrogation.
It is learned that Bijesh had provided information about a few others who were also not included in the list of suspects. Police said more arrests would be made in the coming days.
The CCTV visuals also showed Sreerag, another accused who was earlier arrested from his hideout at Chekkiad in Kozhikode, with Bijesh in front of the building that housed guest workers. The visuals revealed that some of the accused persons were together before the attack on Mansoor and his brother Mohsin.
The brothers were attacked around 8:30pm after the polling on April 6. Mohsin escaped with injuries.
Investigators have also collected call records of the first accused, Shinos, contacting two other co-accused persons, Suhail and Sreeraj, over the phone before the incident. Mohasin had caught hold of Shinos and handed him over to the police along with phone after the attack. Police have collected information about those who were contacted by Shinos before committing the alleged crime.
Former BJP state president C K Padmanabhan, who visited Mansoor’s house along with other party leaders on Monday, said the CPM had planned the murder in advance. Meanwhile, the CPM accused the UDF of using the incident for political gains. The party also said moves were afoot to implicate CPM local secretary in the case.
