The Kerala High Court on Wednesday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to look into the murder of Youth Congress worker Muhammad Shuhaib.
Shuhaib was murdered in Kannur district on February 12. The perpetrators had first thrown a crude bomb at the 30-year-old and two other Youth Congress workers before attacking them with sharp weapons. All three were taken to a nearby hospital, but Shuhaib died on the way.
The Congress had accused workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) of murdering Shuhaib. So far, the police have arrested 11 CPI(M) workers in the case.
On Wednesday, the Kerala High Court ordered the CBI investigation after taking into consideration a petition filed by Shuhaib’s parents CP Muhammed and SP Rasiya. The court highlighted shortcomings in the investigation by the Kerala Police and rejected the state government’s contention that the police inquiry had been progressing in the right direction.
On February 26, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had rejected the Opposition’s demand for a CBI inquiry in the Assembly.
Congress leader K Sudhakaran, who had staged a hunger strike demanding the arrest of the murderers in Kannur, hailed the court’s verdict. “I hope the CBI brings the killers and their handlers to book,” he said in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
Shuhaib’s sister Sumayya, too, welcomed the court’s verdict to transfer the case to the CBI. “God came to our rescue,” she said. “We have been demanding a CBI inquiry since my brother was killed. But our pleas fell on deaf ears. I hope the CBI inquiry solves the mystery behind his murder.”
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