Abhimanyu murder: Manhunt on for accused

KOCHI: The City Police have expanded the search across the state for the remaining suspects in the murder of SFI leader Abhimanyu at the Maharaja’s College in Ernakulam. According to police, as many as three teams comprising 10 officers each have been assigned to trace the 13 persons suspected to have been involved in the incident. The officers are now planning to issue a LookOut Circular on the remaining 12 accused including the prime accused Muhammad, a native of Vaduthala and a third-year degree student at the college. Besides the accused, the phone records of about 15 others are also being examined to trace the remaining accused.

On Monday, police raided a house near Ernakulam North where the accused were camped prior to the assault. According to the officers, attempts are also on to find out whether the accused had taken part in the High Court march in May last year. “The video footage and CCTV visuals of the march along with details of that case are being revisited to ascertain whether the accused were active PFI members,” sources said.   The police have already recorded the arrest of three persons, identified as Bilal, Farooq and Riyas, and is learnt to have taken into custody a couple of more persons.

The arrested trio, in their statement, told the police that the clash first broke out between SFI and Campus Front activists. As the conflict intensified, the CFI workers called up more persons to the scene over the phone.

“The clash turned fatal when one of the attackers, presumably wearing a blue T-shirt, took out a weapon and stabbed the students. A preliminary report on the post-mortem examination of Abhimanyu’s body attributed his death to a deep stab injury on the chest and a detailed report is awaited to ascertain whether the accused were trained in killing or not,” an officer with the investigation team said.
During the probe, officers also received information of Muhammad seeking the help of PFI local leaders in Ernakulam before fleeing the district.

Officers said the identity of the accused were verified upon examining the CCTV visuals collected from the nearby establishments. Police have traced some of them were in Chullikal in Mattancherry, from where they had gone missing.

Two students suspended

Kochi: The Maharaja’s College administration on Tuesday suspended two students in connection with the murder of a second-year BSc Chemistry student Abhimanyu. Mohammed, a third-year degree student, and Farooq, who joined the degree course this academic year, were suspended, said the college authorities. Farooq was earlier arrested by the police. The college council has decided to hand `2 lakh to Abhimanyu’s family. A special team will be appointed to probe the incident. Regular classes will commence on Thursday, while first-year degree classes will begin on July 9.

‘Need urgent intervention to rid campuses of communal elements’

T’Puram: LDF convenor A Vijayaraghavan on Tuesday said urgent intervention was needed to make campuses free of communal-extremist forces.  “Utmost caution should be exercised against the moves by certain Muslim extremist forces looking to spread violence in campuses,” said Vijayaraghavan in a statement. He urged the state government to intervene in the matter.  Strongly condemning the murder of SFI leader Abhimanyu in Ernakulam on Monday, LDF pointed fingers at SDPI for its involvement.  “There should be strong protests against the murder, which is the result of a conspiracy hatched by SDPI. It was a planned murder, executed by well-trained criminals.

The efforts from certain corners to portray this as a student violence is strange. Such statements cannot be termed as innocent remarks,” A Vijayaraghavan said.  The LDF convener said SDPI has been trying to find its space in Kerala campuses through such incidents of violence. The Left Front urged the government to conduct a detailed probe into the conspiracy behind Abhimanyu’s murder and bring the culprits before the law.