One more taken into custody in connection with DYFI activists killing

The leaders, including Congress MLAs from Thiruvananthapuram district, claimed that in CCTV visuals of the attack on the two DYFI workers, at least 12 people are visible and police are yet to nab all of them. Meanwhile, senior CPI(M) leader and the former Kannur district secretary of the Left party, P Jayarajan, visited the homes of the DYFI workers whowere killed onOnameve.

One more person has been taken into custody in connection with the murder of two DYFI activists who were hacked to death on Onam festival eve, allegedly by Congress workers, police said on Saturday. Police have already recorded the arrest of eight people, including a woman and a few Congress, INTUC workers in the case.

"We have taken into custody one person who was absconding in the case," the investigating officer told PTI. Mithilaj (30) and Haq Muhammed (24) of the CPI(M)'s youth wing DYFI were hacked to death at nearby Venjaramoodu on Sunday night.

The killings are suspected to be a fallout of political rivalry between the CPI(M) and the Congress workers. The CPI(M), heading the ruling LDF coalition, had alleged that Congress and its MP Adoor Prakash were involved in the matter.

However, Prakash had dismissed all the allegations and challenged the government to prove the charges. Meanwhile,Alathur MPRamya Haridas, who was on her way to Thiruvanathapuram, was shown black flag by SFI activists, who were protesting at Venjaramoodu,sources said.

The SFI activists reportedly blocked the car of Haridas, suspecting it to be thevehicle of Prakash and police have arrested one SFI leader in the matter. Earlier, Congress leaders claimed that state police were not arresting some DYFI workers allegedly involved in the murder case.

"Some of the DYFI workers are absconding in this matter.Police are refusing to arrest those people.The DYFI leadership is protecting them," senior Congress leader M M Hassan said. The leaders, including Congress MLAs from Thiruvananthapuram district, claimed that in CCTV visuals of the attack on the two DYFI workers, at least 12 people are visible and police are yet to nab all of them.

Meanwhile, senior CPI(M) leader and the former Kannur district secretary of the Left party, P Jayarajan, visited the homes of the DYFI workers whowere killed onOnameve. The visit assumes significance as two decades ago, in 1999, he was attacked by RSS workers on Onam day and left for dead,but managed to survive.

DYFI state secretary A A Rahim had on Friday alleged the District Congress Committee members were "directly involved" in the conspiracy of double murder.PTI RRT BN WELCOME BN WELCOME.