Kannur: A DYFI leader, who was among the main accused in the murder of an IUML worker in Kannur on voting day, surrendered at the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Thalassery on Friday. The youth named Suhail is suspected to be one of the masterminds behind the murder of Mansoor, a Youth league activist.
Mansoor, 22, was killed when a group of assailants waylaid him and his brother Muhsin, a UDF poll agent, near their home in Kannur on April 6, the voting day in Kerala. They hurled bombs at the brothers before attacking Mansoor with sharp weapons.
Mansoor was a Youth League activist. Youth League is a frontal organisation of the IUML or the Indian Union Muslim League, a major party comprising the UDF.
Suhail surrendered at the court soon after posting on his social media profile claiming innocence. Suhail claimed that he would not be able to kill Mansoor since the latter was like a brother to him. He also expressed willingness to under go a lie detection test.
Fourth accused K K Sreerag, 25; seventh accused Ashwanth, 20; and another accused Aneesh were arrested last week in connection with the murder. All three are Pullookkara natives.
Apart from those arrested, a First Information Reports (FIRs) filed by the Crime Branch, who has been probing the murder, names Sangeeth, Suhail, Sajeevan, Shashi, Sumesh, Jaabir and Nassar.
Ratheesh, 36, the second accused and a neighbour of Mansoor, was found dead in an isolated area at Chekkiad in Valayam of Kozhikode district two days after the murder.
The FIR states that all the accused are workers of the CPM or of affiliated outfits and political animosity led to the violence.
Four others, who were not named in the FIR, were also arrested.