Tension prevailed in Kasargode town on Tuesday following the murder of a Muslim cleric. He was allegedly hacked to death on Monday night.
The crime occurred at Choori in Madhur Grama Panchayat, three kilo meters away from the town. Riyas, a thirty-year old cleric who was also a Madrasa teacher was hacked to death by unknown assailants. The culprits reportedly slashed his throat repeatedly. Riyas was a native of Kodagu in Karnataka. Riyas has been living in Choori for the past six years. “He was living in a room near the mosque in Choori. Another senior cleric is staying in an adjacent room. Upon hearing the noise he rushed to room, but by that time the assailants had fled. He then informed the people by announcing the incident using mosque loudspeaker,” a local resident told TNM.
While the Indian Union Muslim League called for a shut down in the town, political wing of the Popular Front of India SDPI staged a protest following the incident. There were stone pelting in some parts of the city.
The police force in the northern district of Kerala are on their toes to prevent any untoward incidents from happening. Meanwhile, IUML MLA N A Nelikkunnu and some other IUML leaders staged a sit-in protest in front of the District police headquarters demanding that the body should be taken to Kasargode. The police's decision was to take the body to his native place. The autopsy was conducted at the Medical College Hospital, Pariyaram. ADGP north zone Rajesh Dewan who had reached the spot told TNM that the situation was under control now.