About 40 days after the murder of a Congress worker in Thrissur district, police have finally nabbed the prime accused in the case.
Forty-year-old Noushad, a resident of Punna in Chavakkad, was hacked to death by bike-borne assailants on July 30. Though about five other accused in the case were arrested earlier by the police, the prime accused Arakkal Jamaludheen had been absconding.
Jamaludheen, who is known by the name ‘Kaari Shaji’, was caught from Tamil Nadu by the investigation officials, reports Malayala Manorama. As per the report, Jamaludheen is the Chavakkad area president of Popular Front of India (PFI).
Noushad, who was the local leader of Congress in Chavakkad, was attacked by a group of about 10 people who came in bikes on the night of July 30. Though Noushad and two others were admitted to hospital after being attacked, Noushad succumbed to his injuries the next day. The local Congress unit in Chavakkad and even the state Congress leaders had come out saying that Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) was behind the attack.
Popular Front of India is the sister organisation of SDPI.
Though reports claim that Noushad was killed for being an obstacle in the growth of SDPI in Chavakkad, investigation officials have not commented on it. When TNM contacted Chavakkad police, they said that the arrested accused was still being questioned for more details.
Jamaludheen has been charged under sections 302 (Punishment for murder), 143 (Unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 120B (Criminal conspiracy), 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) of the Indian Penal Code and section 27 (Punishment for possessing arms) of the Arms Act.
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