Congress- Muslim League- Popular Front Terrorist nexus

Blast’s dimension baffles Kerala Police
PNS | Kozhikode

The vast preparations that should have gone into the large-scale bomb-making at Narikkatteri near Nadapuram in Kerala’s Kozhikode district, where a high-intensity blast occurred late Saturday night have baffled the Kerala Police. Five workers of the Muslim League, an ally of the Congress, were killed and several others were injured in the explosion.

The CPI(M) alleged that bomb-making was being carried out jointly by activists of the Muslim League and Islamist Popular Front of India, against which there had been allegations of terror-related activities. The Kerala Government viewed bomb-making at Nadapuram as part of a major plan to unleash violence during the Assembly elections to take place within two months.

Narikkatteri village is adjacent to Kallachi town in Nadapuram, where clashes between Muslim League and CPI(M) workers had been continuing for the past several years. At least 12 houses of activists from both sides had come under bomb attack and stone-pelting even on Friday and the police had found several steel bombs and blast materials in raids in the area on Saturday.

Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan said in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday that UDF activists were making bombs at Narikkatteri with the intention of launching violence during the polls and asked Opposition leader Oommen Chandy to apologize to the people for the explosion. He said the Nadapuram area had served as the base for launching large-scale violence in the past also.

Sources in the police said they were worried about the dimensions of bomb-making in Narikkatteri. Searches by police teams in the village and around on Sunday yielded a huge quantity of explosives materials and components. But what baffled them most was the reported finding of a bank cheque for Rs 9 lakh and several wads of Rs-500 notes. However, the police refused to speak about this.

Police sources admitted that the bomb-making that was going on in Narikkatteri was not just a vengeful reaction of a bunch of youth but it seemed to be happening as per a thoroughly laid out plan. They said a detailed probe would have to be conducted to find out the sources of funds for this.

The blast had occurred at around 10.00 pm Saturday at a deserted hill top at Aniyerikkunnu and people living around said the sound indicated that it was very powerful. Three of the bomb-makers were said to have been killed on the spot and two succumbed to injuries on Sunday. It is said that all those who were in the place had suffered injuries.

Those killed in the explosion were identified as Rafeeq (30), Riyas (35), Shamir (28), Shabeer (21) and Sabeer. All the killed and injured were workers of the Muslim League, its youth outfit Youth League and students’ wing Muslim Students’ Front.

Seven persons had been admitted to various hospitals in Kozhikode while the police launched a search for more persons who could have sought medical help in private hospitals. Reports said that Muslim League workers had tried to stop the police from reaching the blast site when they reached there on Saturday night.

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