An all-party meeting convened on Tuesday in the wake of twin political murders in Alappuzha resolved to work for peace.
The meeting attended by Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian, Agriculture Minister P. Prasad, representatives of various political parties and officials at the Alappuzha district collectorate condemned the recent killings of BJP leader Ranjith Sreenivas and Social Democratic Party of India State secretary K.S. Shan.
Political parties accepted the suggestions put forward by Mr. Cherian and Mr. Prasad to maintain peace and communal harmony in the district.
The Ministers said that all those involved in the twin murders and conspiracy would be brought to justice. “There will be no laxity in the investigation into the murders. A special investigation team constituted as per the directive of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is probing the twin murders. Everyone should desist from murders,” Mr. Cherian said, while urging to convey grievances directly to district administration, MLAs, or Ministers without creating any provocation.
MLAs Ramesh Chennithala, H. Salam, P.P. Chitharanjan, Thomas K. Thomas, M.S. Arunkumar, District Collector A. Alexander, District Police Chief G. Jaidev and others attended.
Prohibitory orders imposed in the district have been extended till 6 a.m. on Thursday. The District Collector extended the restrictions imposed under section 144 of the Cr.PC. over concerns of possible violence in the district.
Four detained
The police team probing the murder of Ranjith detained four SDPI activists on Tuesday.
Official said that their arrest would be recorded by Wednesday. The police, meanwhile, recovered four motorbikes allegedly used by the assailants from Mannancherry. Bloodstains have been found on one of the bikes. At least 12 assailants were involved in the murder of Sreenivas.
He was hacked to death in his house at Vellakinar in Alappuzha municipality, on Sunday morning. Sreenivas was killed allegedly in retaliation for the murder of Shan in Mannancherry on Saturday night.
Police on Tuesday conducted searches at more than 250 locations in the district to nab culprits involved in the crime.
On Monday, the police had arrested two RSS activists, Rajendraprasad, alias Prasad, 39, of Mannancherry, and Ratheesh, alias Kuttan, 31,, of Mararikulam South. The police have identified a total of 10 people involved in the murder of Shan and efforts are on to nab the rest eight accused.
