NIA probe into Kannur blast necessary, says Congress in Kerala

Therefore, there is an apprehension that the police might not carry out a proper probe, he alleged.The Kannur blast on April 5 led to the BJP and the Congress accusing the ruling CPIM in the state of encouraging bomb-making activities to disrupt the election process, an allegation stoutly denied by the Left party.Both the BJP and Congress also claimed that the targets of the bombs were their respective candidates contesting in the Lok Sabha polls or their party workers.Several arrests have been made by the police in the case.

The Congress in Kerala on Friday alleged that the police investigation into the recent blast of a country-made bomb in Kannur district has not been satisfactory, and demanded an NIA probe into the case.

On April 5, a country-made bomb exploded while it was being made at Panur in Kannur, killing one person and injuring three others. It has stirred the political waters in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha polls on April 26.

At a press conference in Palakkad, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said it was the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that probes incidents related to blasts and bomb-making as it was created for that purpose, and therefore that agency should probe the Kannur blast as well.

''The recent blast in Panur in Kannur district should be probed by the NIA as the ongoing investigation by the Kerala Police is not satisfactory,'' he said.

He claimed that only an NIA probe will be able to unearth the facts and reveal the actual culprits behind the incident.

Chennithala said that another reason he was seeking an NIA probe into the case is that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) State Secretary M V Govindan have allegedly made moves to save the accused.

The Congress leader also claimed that the country-made bombs were going to be used against the UDF as the Left front feared defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

Earlier in the day, Youth Congress state President Rahul Mamkootathil demanded that a central agency probe the blast case.

Speaking to reporters in Kannur, he said that a probe by a central agency is necessary to ensure that the police do not destroy evidence in the case.

''Bomb-making is a serious issue,'' he remarked.

Similar views were aired by P K Firos, General Secretary of the Muslim Youth League's Kerala State Committee.

Firos claimed that the police were hiding details about the case as well as the health condition of those injured in the blast. Therefore, there is an apprehension that the police might not carry out a proper probe, he alleged.

The Kannur blast on April 5 led to the BJP and the Congress accusing the ruling CPI(M) in the state of encouraging bomb-making activities to disrupt the election process, an allegation stoutly denied by the Left party.

Both the BJP and Congress also claimed that the targets of the bombs were their respective candidates contesting in the Lok Sabha polls or their party workers.

Several arrests have been made by the police in the case. According to the police, many of the accused are CPI(M) workers or supporters, and one of them is also a DYFI leader.

This has also been denied by the CPI(M), which said that those involved in bomb making had attacked party workers in the past and, therefore, were sidelined from the Left organisation.