Two persons, hailing from the state of Jharkhand, were killed at Erattayar in Kerala’s Idukki district on Sunday evening. The deceased have been identified as Shuklal and Jams Marande, who were working at a cardamom estate belonging to a man called George. Sanjay Bhakti, a person who also hails from Jharkhand, was accused of the murder, and has been taken into police custody.
“It seems to be an argument that broke out on a financial deal between the men that had gone wrong,” Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) of Kattappana NC Rajmohan told TNM.
DySP Rajmohan was hurt while the police were trying to nab the accused. “He had used a machete, a sharp tool they use for the work, to attack both the victims. I too got injured on my left leg with the machete. I am okay now,” he said.
In the tussle between the men, the wife of Shuklal was also seriously injured in the head, DySP Rajmohan said. The attack took place at Valiyathovala in Erattayar, a village in Kattappana of Idukki.
Two separate cases have been registered against Sanjay Bhakti – one for the murder and another for hurting a police official on duty. He has been arrested under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) -- punishment for murder -- and section 332 of the IPC for voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from performing his duty.
The same night, a CPI(M) worker Manilal was allegedly murdered by an RSS worker in Kollam's Munroe Thuruthu. Manilal, who was also a local resort owner, was stabbed to death near a busy junction, allegedly by Ashokan, who runs another resort. Reports said that Ashokan stabbed Manilal during an argument between the two men, and though the victim was rushed to the hospital, he succumbed to his injury. CPI(M) leaders have alleged that it was a political murder.