Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Sunday, December 19, said that he feels ashamed of the back-to-back political killings in the state. He said that people of all political parties must refrain from killings and should believe in democracy. Speaking to media persons, Khan said that in a democratic country, violence does not have any role, and called upon people to believe in democracy. He said that he was waiting for the report from the Home department regarding the killings.
Meanwhile, the body of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) state secretary KS Shan was brought to his residence at Alappuzha under heavy police security. Inspector-General of Police, South Zone, Harshitha Attalluri told mediapersons that if there is any provocative slogan during the funeral procession of Shan, police would take stringent action even against senior leaders.
Shan's body would be brought to his rented accommodation at Mannanchery in Alappuzha. His funeral will take place at the local mosque on Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, the post-mortem of the slain BJP leader Ranjith Sreenivasan is taking place at the Vandanam Government Medical College Hospital, Alappuzha.
His funeral will take place at his family residence at Haripad in Alappuzha district after 7 pm. Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan and BJP state president K Surendran will attend the funeral of Sreenivasan.
Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) state secretary Shan was killed on the night of Saturday, Decembe 18, while BJP leader Sreenivasan was murdered on the morning of Sunday, December 19. Following the murders, prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 were imposed in Alappuzha district on Sunday, December, and police took around 50 people into custody, including workers of BJP, RSS and SDPI, IG Harshita Attaluri told reporters.
The officer said that not all of the persons in custody are culprits, and that the police was "examining and investigating" the two cases.