With the four new arrests in the murder case of RSS leader SK Sreenivasan in Kerala, the total number of the arrested accused has increased to 20. Notably, all the 20 accused in this case are affiliated to or members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) or the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) which is the political wing of the PFI. In a gruesome incident, SK Sreenivasan, a senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader was hacked to death in broad daylight in Kerala’s Palakkad on 16th April 2022.
Sreenivasan, a former Physical Education instructor of the RSS, was murdered by a group of 5-6 assailants who arrived on three bikes. They hacked him to death inside his shop in the Melamuri area of Palakkad with sharp weapons. According to eyewitnesses, the attackers were armed with machetes and attacked him several times, inflicting multiple fatal injuries. According to Kerala police, he was murdered in retaliation for the alleged murder of PFI leader Zubair on 15th April 2022.
ADGP (Law and Order) Vijay Sakhare said that seven people have been arrested so far in connection with the Zubair murder case. When asked about the plans by the Kerala police to prevent the political killings in the state, ADGP Vijay Sakhare said that pre-planned murders are very difficult to prevent.
He further said, “We come down very very heavily on those involved. A lot of arrests are made. We have a zero-tolerance toward communal issues. The police is keeping a constant tab on the history sheeters and especially those involved in communal cases. It is an ongoing process and we have increased it many folds after the Alappuzha murders” It is notable that so far 20 accused arrested are linked with the PFI or SDPI.
The prime accused in the Sreenivasan murder case – Muhammad Bilal, Muhammad Rizwan, Riyassuddin, and Sahad also confessed that a team of PFI members had come to Palakkad for the same purpose. The PFI leaders had asked them to execute the BJP and RSS leaders within 24 hours. Sreenivasan was the latest victim as PFI members could easily execute him at the last minute.
The Kerala police investigation into the murder of RSS activist SK Sreenivasan has revealed that PFI members had shortlisted names of at least 100 BJP and RSS leaders prior to the murder of Sreenivasan. The list included the names of BJP state general secretary C Krishnakumar and BJP youth leader Prasanth Sivan. The deceased Sreenivasan was also on the PFI’s list.
