The Kerala Police's special investigation team (SIT) probing the murder of Rashtriya Swaymsevak Sangh (RSS) leader SK Sreenivasan in Palakkad on Tuesday arrested a fire force officer, identified as M Jishad, in connection with the case. This is the first time a government official is turning an accused in a political murder case.
Sreenivasan was killed in an alleged retaliatory attack. He was stabbed to death in his shop in April.
According to the investigation team, Jishad was a former worker of the Popular Front of India or PFI - an Islamic fundamentalist organisation - who continued his links with the fringe outfit even after getting into the government service.
He was allegedly instrumental in preparing a list of RSS leaders to be targeted after the murder of S Subair, a Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) leader who was hacked to death in April, the team also found.
The SIT also found that the fire officer was allegedly involved in the murder of Sanjith, another RSS worker, too. Sanjith was stabbed to death while he was travelling with his wife last November.
Earlier in April, Palakkad district reported two back-to-back political murders - Subair was stabbed to death on April 15 and Sreenivasan was murdered the next day - in an apparent retaliatory attack.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier in April, Palakkad district reported two back-to-back political murders - Subair was stabbed to death on April 15 and Sreenivasan was murdered the next day - in an apparent retaliatory attack.
{{/usCountry}}On April 27, the SIT arrested four SDPI workers in connection with Sreenivasan's murder case. Before that, the investigation had arrested three RSS workers in connection with Subair’s murder case.
Earlier, additional director general of police Vijay Sakhre, who is supervising the investigation, said the conspiracy to kill Sreenivasan was hatched on the night Subair was killed.
A small meeting was held on the ground floor of the district hospital where Subair's body was kept and reportedly many PFI leaders were consulted before the target was fixed. Sakhre also said they zeroed in on Sreenivasan since his shop was situated in a stronghold of the RSS, due to which the security was a bit lax.