The Congress party of Kerala on Wednesday termed the State under the rule of the CPI(M)-led LDF as “murderers’ paradise “ in the context of three brutal killings – two of them political – taking place in less than two weeks even as the High Court sought explanation from the Government over the lynching of a tribal youth in Attapadi, Palakkad on February 22 on food theft charge.

“Kerala has become a paradise for murderers. Anybody can hack anybody to death here. Anybody can hurl bombs at anybody here. Mobs can beat anybody to death here. The reason behind the creation of such a situation is lack of rule of law,” said Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala of the Congress in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

Talking to newsmen outside the State Assembly, Chennithala said, “The Government here is sitting frozen and that is also a reason for this peculiar situation. The LDF Government is trying to whitewash these heinous crimes instead of dealing with them seriously.” He also demanded a judicial probe into the lynching of tribal youth Madhu (29) in Attapadi.

The Kerala Assembly on Wednesday witnessed pandemonium and early adjournment for the day for the third consecutive day due to Opposition protests over the continuing incidents of murder in the State.

According to sources in the Congress-led Opposition UDF, stiff protests would continue in the House when it reassembles next Monday after a four-day break. Trouble started in the House at the start of the Question Hour itself with the Opposition demanding urgent discussions over the collapse of the law and order in the State, as proved by the repeating cases of murder.

Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan disagreed to the demand saying the Opposition should give up its tendency of spoiling the Question Hour.

Moving notice for an adjournment motion over the two brutal murders that took place in his Mannarkad constituency within a span of five days, N Shamsudheen of the Muslim League alleged that the goondas were ruling the State these days and that the police under the LDF Government had become mere scarecrows.

He alleged that Muslim Youth League worker Safeer (23) was stabbed to death inside his textile shop in Mannarkad town on February 25 by “goondas of the CPI”. Attapadi, where tribal youth Madhu was beaten to death by a mob on February 22 on the charge of stealing food, also comes under his Mannarkad constituency. Replying to the notice for the adjournment motion, Marxist Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that the February 25 incident could not be termed as a political killing.

“Safeer’s was not a case of political killing,” Pinarayi claimed, adding that the police’s probe was progressing in that case. “The lynching of the tribal youth in Attapadi is a blot on Kerala’s civilised society. A probe is on under the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Agali into that killing,” he said.

On the alleged role of certain forest Department officials in the incident, he said the Chief Conservator (Forests) was looking into it.

Following the reply of the Chief Minister, the Speaker refused leave for the adjournment motion triggering instant protests from the Opposition members who rushed to the well of the House shouting slogans. As the intensity of the protests grew, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day after rushing through the business of the day.

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court sought an explanation from the State Government over the lynching of the tribal youth in Attapadi asking it submit the same within 15 days. The court has suo moto initiated a case on in this matter by considering a letter written by a judge of the same court to the Chief Justice as public interest litigation.

Observing that the matter was very serious and that it could not avoid intervening in it, the court appointed Amicus Curiae to study the incident and report back to it. The letter, which has acquired the status of a PIL, has said that the incident was a sign of value erosion in the society and that the court has to intervene in the issue and suggest corrective measures.