Twenty20 demands arrest of CPI(M) MLA for 'murder' of its worker

Kochi, Feb 19 Twenty20, a local political party, on Saturday demanded the arrest of CPI(M) legislator P.V. Sreenijin in connection with the assault on its 38-year-old member leading to his death.

According to Sabu Jacob, the Twenty20, Deepu, 38, a Dalit activist of the outfit, was murdered by the CPI(M).

Deepu, an active worker of Twenty20, was beaten up by a group of people at his village last week and he succumbed to the injuries on Friday.

After the incident the police arrested four locals.

Jacob, who heads Kitex group of companies, was in the news last year when he, after having differences with various departments of the Kerala government, decided to make a fresh investment of over Rs 3,000 crore in Telengana.

Speaking to the media, Jacob said this was a perfectly planned out murder carried out in consultation with a lawyer or a seasoned politician on how to eliminate someone without causing any external injuries.

"Deepu who lived in a Dalit colony near here where Twenty20 was very active and he has been a loyal party worker. As he was coming out from a house he was brutally attacked by a group. The murderers had the backing of CPI-M legislator Sreenijin and he should be made the number one accused. Peace has disappeared in the area as 50 of our workers have been attacked, ever since he became a legislator," said Jacob.

Sreenijin, the son-in-law of former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court K.G.Balakrishnan, was a Congress leader and had contested the 2011 Assembly polls but lost and later joined the CPI(M) and won the April 2021 Assembly polls from the Kunnathunadu Assembly constituency, near here.

"I am being targeted by airing baseless allegations and dragged into this. Am ready to cooperate with any probe and am willing to give my mobile to the police. I know those who have been arrested but have had no association with them and I think the present probe is going on in the right direction," said Sreenijin.

Twenty20, presently is in power, in a few local bodies in and around Kizhekamabalam, near here and was able to root out both the Congress and the CPI(M), the principal leading political parties in the locality.

The autopsy of Deepu is being held on Saturday at the Kottayam Medical College Hospital, after which the body would be taken in a convoy to his home, near here.