4 held after blast during bomb-making kills one

TRIVANDRUM: Police in the northern district of Kannur have arrested four workers of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) allegedly involved in the making of crude bombs.

At least one of the workers died and another man lost his hands in a blast that occurred while making bombs in the CPI (M) stronghold of Panur on Friday.

The opposition Congress party-led United Democratic Front (UDF) alleged that the crude bombs were meant to target them during the election campaigning.

Kerala goes to the polls in the second phase of the national ballot on April 26, and both sides are engaged in a fierce battle in the Vadakara constituency.

Shafi Parambil, the UDF candidate fielded by the Congress, was to campaign in the town on Saturday with Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) legislator KK Rema.

The two, who led a peace march in the town on Saturday, said their opponents were planning bomb atacks to scare away voters in the UDF strongholds on the polling day.

Mansoor, 21, a worker of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), another UDF constituent, was killed in the same place during the state elections three years back.

His brother Muhsin, a UDF polling agent who was with him, was also hurt when the CPI (M) activists exploded crude bombs before attacking him with sharp weapons.

“They very well know that if polling were held peacefully, we’d have an easy walkover,” Parambil said, adding that they would seek deployment of federal forces.

“They will unleash violence as they fear humiliating defeat at the husting. Not only the four who are now in custody, we are sure more people are involved,” added Rema.

At least ten men are currently serving life sentences for killing her husband, TP Chandrasekharan ater he let the CPI (M) and floated the RMP.

The UDF also released photographs of the suspects posing with top CPI (M) leaders, including their candidate KK Shailaja, the former health minister.

The police, who recovered a dozen bombs from the area, said they are on the lookout for six more suspects.

They identified the man who succumbed to his injuries in a hospital as Sherin, 26, a resident. The condition of Vineesh, 24, remains critical.

“Police did not act even ater they were alerted about the bomb-making unit under the supervision of local CPI (M) leaders,” Congress district president Martin George said.

The police blocked him and other UDF workers from entering the crime scene.