The Kerala Police on Monday said that two Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh workers have been arrested in connection with the death of the Social Democratic Party of India State Secretary KS Shan in the Alappuzha district, The Indian Express reported.
The two accused persons – Prasad and Ratheesh – hail from Mannancheri, the same village as the victim, Alappuzha Superintendent of Police G Jaidev said. He added that they allegedly arranged for the vehicle which the assailants used during the attack.
The police have also identified eight other persons allegedly involved in the crime and teams have been formed to trace them, PTI reported.
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Vijay Sakhare said that Prasad was the main organiser of the killing. He added that the police are investigating into the possibility of a larger conspiracy behind the killing.
On Sunday, less than 12 hours after the attack on Shan, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Renjith Sreenivasan was also killed in the same district. Sreenivasan was the state secretary of the party’s Other Backward Class unit.
Speaking about the BJP leader’s killing, Sakhare said on Monday that the police have “concrete clues” about the assailants. He said that the police have got a “substantial lead” about 12 persons allegedly involved in Sreenivasan’s killing and that their identities are being verified.
On Sunday, the Social Democratic Party of India alleged that Shan was killed by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh members, while Union Minister V Muraleedharan claimed that according to information that he received, the attack on the BJP leader was the “handy work of [an] Islamic terrorist group”.
In the wake of the killings, state police chief Anil Kant directed police personnel to take precautionary measures in Alappuzha.
Meanwhile, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said that he felt ashamed about the back-to-back political killings, IANS reported. He said that violence has no role in a democracy, and urged all political parties to refrain from killings.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!