Murder of ABVP activist a retaliation by SDPI workers, say police

coastaldigest.com news network

January 21, 2018

Kannur, Jan 21: Four suspects have been arrested by the police for alleged involvement in the killing of ABVP activist Shyam Prasad in Kannur district of Kerala. Police say, all arrested are activists of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political arm of the Popular Front of India.

Prasad, an ABVP activist studying at the Government Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Peravoor, was riding a motorcycle on Friday when he was waylaid by some youths in a car. Though he tried to take shelter in a house nearby, the gang followed him and hacked him to death.

According to Police, Prasad’s murder was an act of retaliation following an attack on an SDPI worker allegedly by RSS workers in the area last week. A school bus driver, the SDPI activist is recuperating in a hospital. Besides, a woman had reportedly complaint against Shyam Prasad for troubling her.

Police say the four SDPI workers —Salim Hamza, Ameer Abdul Rahman, Muhammad Basheer and Shaheem Shamsudeen— have confessed to committing the murder. Basheer is also an accused in the murder of CPM worker Naroth Dileepan. Police have been able to retrieve the weapons used in the murder. The accused were arrested from Thalappuzha in neighbouring Wayanad district based on the inputs of the eye-witnesses.

On Saturday, Prasad’s body was cremated in the presence of senior BJP and RSS leaders in Koothuparambu. A dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the BJP in the district was largely peaceful with heavy police presence.

BJP demands ban on SDPI

In the wake of the arrest of four suspected SDPI members on murder charges, BJP Kerala State president Kummanam has demanded a ban on organisations like the SDPI and PFI.

Talking to reporters in Kochi on Saturday, Mr. Rajasekharan said probe into the murder should also unearth the circumstances and the conspiracy that led to it.

He accused the CPI(M) of taking a soft stance towards ‘terror outfits’ such as the SDPI and the PFI in Kannur - a CPI(M) stronghold. Mr. Rajasekharan alleged that the murder of the RSS man was evidence to the fact that there existed a Jehadi-Left nexus in that part of the State.

“They are SDPI workers during the day, but are sheltered by the CPI(M) in their hideouts at night,” he alleged.

Kerala had become the nerve centre of terror, with the State government failing to curb such activities, he maintained, asking the State government to outlaw the SDPI and the PFI failing which the demand would be taken up with the Union government.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

Comments