4 NDF men held for BMS Leader, Suhas murder

The police team investigating into the recent violence in Kasaragod on Monday arrested four NDF workers for their role in the murder of BMS district vice-president and lawyer P Suhas.

Those arrested were Safeer (23), son of Ibrahim of Erial, Shihab (23), son of Hussain, Mrkettukunnu, Rahim (23), son of Abdullah of Rihana Manzil and Abdurahman alias Ammu (24), son of Malabar Abbas.

With these arrests, the total number of suspects now in police custody in connection with the recent violence, which claimed four lives, rose to 15.

Police sources said key suspect in the Suhas murder case, Rafeeq, son of Aadoor Muhammad, Badira, had gone into hiding. The investigators, who confiscated Rafeeq’s passport in a raid at his house, have got information that he was in hiding in a secret place in Karnataka. They hoped to nab him soon.

Police said that all the arrested persons were workers of the Islamist resistance organisation NDF. They were also workers of the Indian Union Muslim League or the Indian National League.

Safeer was arrested at 5.30 am Saturday from Erial. The others were held from Ullal on the information collected from Safeer during interrogation. Police felt that that there were several other NDF workers who could have taken part in the murder of Suhas directly or indirectly. They said the correct information on such details would be available only after arresting Rafeeq.

The investigators also said that almost all the NDF workers had gone into hiding hearing the news of the arrests in the Suhas murder case. They said that all the culprits were below the age of 25 and had committed the murder using small knives. Police also said that active involvement of RSS and NDF could have been there behind the recent murders in Kasaragod. Police said that they would extend the probe to more areas.

Four persons had been murdered and several injured in five days of violence which started on April 14, the Vishu day, in Kasaragod. The first to be murdered was BJP worker Sandeep Kumar, followed by Muhammad Sinan. Then Suhas was murdered and the series of killings came to an end with the murder of 60-year-old CA Muhammad Kunhi at Adukkath Bayal.

Seven suspects had been arrested last week in connection with the cases relating to the murders of Muhammad Sinan of Nellikkunnu and CA Muhammad Kunhi of Adukkath Bayal. They were arrested on Friday night and early Saturday morning at Mangalore.

Responses