‘How can you take a life like this?’
A day after the brutal murder of Youth Congress leader M Shuhaib in trouble-torn Kannur, the father of the deceased said there were attempts on his son’s life even while he was in judicial custody.
Shuhaib’s father P Muhammad said he was not happy with the ongoing police investigation and suspected a cover up to bail out the assailants.
Shuhaib (29), Youth Congress Mattanoor block secretary, was allegedly attacked by a group of CPI(M) workers who hurled country-made bombs and then stabbed him with sharp-edged weapons on Monday. Though the CPI(M) claimed no role in the murder, Congress and other opposition parties said it was “a well-planned execution carried out by the party”.
“How can you kill my son over a minor incident in a local school election? Communists talk big about humans rights everywhere but what they are doing in Kannur is barbaric. My son was hounded and executed,” he said, adding no family should suffer such a fate.
Muhammad said his son was targeted by local CPI(M) leaders and implicated in false cases ever since the Kerala Students Union (Congress student wing) won the election in Edayanoor Higher Secondary School in September last year.
“He was implicated in a case involving an attack on workers of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU). While in judicial custody there were attempts on his life but somehow he was saved. After his release on bail, he faced several threats but the police failed to take any action despite complaints,” he alleged.
“I don’t understand how minor issues are leading to murders. Politics is to serve people not to kill them. Ours is a democratic country and everyone has the right to believe in his ideology. Politics of intolerance and bloodshed has to be contained,” he said, adding party leaders should take serious steps to stop this bloodshed. He said he had no faith in the state police and did not expect any justice from them.
“Nobody called me to record my statement. Even the statement of those who were injured in the attack were not recorded properly. What can you do if you fail to get justice from the police machinery meant to protect you,” said the distraught father.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is yet to react on the incident that took place in his home district.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: