One of the suspects in the murder of Indian Union of Muslim League worker Mansur was found dead on Friday. Ratheesh Koloth, one of the suspects was found dead in Valayam police station limits in Kozhikode.
Ratheesh was suspected to have taken his own life. A case of unnatural death was registered. Ratheesh, a native of Panoor, was reportedly second accused in the case. He was also Mansur's neighbour.
Police were informed when a body had been found. "We circulated his photograph and found that he was an accused in the IUML worker death case," a police official told PTI.
Youth League member Mansur (22) was killed when a group of people waylaid him and his brother Muhsin, a UDF poll agent, near their home. They hurled bombs at the duo before attacking Mansur with sharp weapons on April 6, witnesses had said. Police had said that Ratheesh, a neighbour of the deceased IUML worker, was absconding.
The state police had on Thursday handed over the case to the district crime branch and a 15-member team initiated a probe into the incident.
The Crime Branch started the probe in the murder case and one Democratic Youth Front of India (DYFI) worker K Shinos was arrested and remanded by Thalassery Magistrate Court.
Among the 24-member gang that was suspected to have attacked Mansoor, police identified 11 accused. Shinos, Ratheesh, Sangeeth, Sreerag, Suhail, Sajeev, Aswath, Sasi, Sumesh, Jabir and Nasar are the accused listed in the First Information Report (FIR).
Among them, nine of them are yet to be arrested. Some of the accused are local leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). As per reports, Jabir is a local committee member, Suhail is a DYFI worker and Sasi is branch secretary of CPI(M) Kochangadi. Most of the accused are reportedly active CPI(M) workers.
Meanwhile, IUML leaders have expressed their distrust in the police investigation. IUML General Secretary PK Kunhalikutty said that they need an impartial investigation. He has said that the investigation officer should not be a sympathiser of CPI(M). "Mansur's murder was not just a political killing. It had a conspiracy and planning before execution. CPI(M) is not going to end its killing culture. People in Kerala should think about it," he said. He also added that IUML will go to any extent for the family to get justice. The Left party dismissed the charge and said that it was not a political murder.