19 murder convicts granted parole before Congress worker's killing

Kerala's Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala on Friday claimed a political conspiracy in the murder of Youth Congress leader M Shuhaib in Kannur, by pointing out that 19 murder case convicts were granted parole ahead of the killing.

Chennithala released to the media copies of a home department order dated January 23, 2018, that carries the recommendation by a review committee to grant conditional parole to the prisoners.

Parole of other prisoners who were already out was also extended on January 16, 22, 23 and 24, he said.

The CPM-led state government is facing the Opposition's heat over the gruesome killing, with the Congress maintaining that the assailants are affiliated to the ruling party.

Shuhaib (30), Youth Congress block secretary in Mattannur, died on Tuesday after sustaining serious injuries in an armed attack at Theroor.

He is reported to have sustained 37 injuries below his waist. Two other Congress workers were also injured in the attack.

"The police don't have to search in the dark for the killers. They just need to interrogate the local CPM leadership," Chennithala said.

The 19 prisoners who were granted parole include Sunilkumar aka Kodi Suni, P K Rajeesh and Anoop, all convicted in the 2012 murder of T P Chandrasekharan, who left the CPM to form the Revolutionary Marxist Party.

"The CPM criminals have followed the pattern of their earlier killings. The party has plotted and executed this murder through its killer squads," Chennithala said.

He claimed that the police are waiting for a list of "dummy" names from the CPM to make arrests.

Shuhaib was involved in recent clashes between student wings of the CPM and Congress.

Even as the local CPM leadership refuted allegations of its involvement in the murder, the Congress has also claimed that Shuhaib was earlier marked for murder in a sub-jail by inmates affiliated to the CPM.