Kerala: CPI(M) leader hacked to death in Kozhikode

A Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader was hacked to death in Koyilandy of Kozhikode district in Kerala on Thursday, February 22. P.V. Sathyanathan ( 62), the secretary of the Koyilandy Town Central Local Committee, CPI (M), was fatally attacked around 10 p.m while he was participating in the festivities at the Perivattur Cheriyapuram temple. Abhilash, a former member of the CPI(M), is currently in police custody in connection with the crime.

Sathyanathan, sustained multiple injuries, including a blow to his neck. He was rushed to the taluk hospital in Koyilandy, but was declared dead by hospital authorities.

Following the murder, the CPI(M) has announced a hartal (shutdown) in Koyilandy on Friday, expressing their protest. But police are yet to confirm whether the murder was politically motivated. Full details will emerge once the authorities complete their investigation.

In a similar incident, a 40-year-old local CPI(M) leader was hacked to death in Palakkad district. The police had subsequently arrested two persons behind the incident.