The second accused in the Venjaramoodu twin murders was arrested from his relative's house in Maruthimoodu near Kallara in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. Police had been watching 24-year-old Anzer's relatives and friends for the last few days to get hold of him. When he reached his house on Saturday, police who were tracking him in plain clothes, arrested him.
It was on the night of August 30 that Mohammed Haq (24) and Midhilaj (30), were hacked to death by a group using sharp weapons. Both of them were local leaders of the Democratic Youth Front of India.
Anzer is also an accused in the murder attempt on Faizal, another DYFI worker.
With the arrest of Anzer, all nine accused who are directly linked in the case have been arrested. Most of the accused are Congress workers.
However, the murders have unleashed a huge controversy with the Thiruvananthapuram District Congress Committee alleging that four DYFI workers who were armed, including the two people who died, had clashed with a rival gang. Pointing to CCTV footage from the area, the Congress alleged that two DYFI workers Shahin and Appus were present at the spot and they could be seen attacking the other gang. Though the Congress admitted that their members too were part of the rival gang, they have challenged CPI(M)’s version that this was a political murder.
Congress leaders including Kerala Pradesh General Secretary MM Hassan said that this was a fight between two armed gangs, with cadres from both parties, and not a political murder.
The Congress questioned why the police have not filed a case against Shahin and Appus and why no effort has been made to arrest the two absconding men.
MM Hassan insisted that the inquiry should be handed over to CBI as the police was politically biased.