Nearly three months after the murder of two Youth Congress workers in Kasaragod district of Kerala, the Crime Branch team of the Kerala Police recorded the arrest of two local leaders of the CPI(M) for allegedly destroying evidence and aiding the killers. The two CPM leaders were released on bail after being presented before the first-class judicial magistrate in Hosdurg.
Kripesh (24) and Sarath Lal (21) were hacked to death by unidentified members of a gang on the night of February 17 in Periya while they were returning from an event. The murders were a continuation of the brutal struggle for political supremacy between the Left and the Congress parties in the area. It was widely believed that the two Youth Congress workers were resisting the advances of the CPM in the village. The disturbances between the two parties kicked off after a Congress student wing worker was assaulted allegedly by SFI workers in a college in the area. This resulted in a counter-attack by Youth Congress workers, including Kripesh, on a CPM local committee member. Kripesh, who was an accused in the assault case, had stepped out on bail when he was murdered that night.