Twenty20 party on Saturday alleged that the death of its Dalit activist CK Deepu was a 'pre-planned murder' and the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist MLA PV Sreenijin should be named as the first accused in the case.
A newly-formed political party, Twenty20 Kizhakkambalam, which rules some panchayats in the district, is promoted by the industry group owned by well-known industrialist Sabu M Jacob.
Jacob, also the chief coordinator of the party, charged that Deepu was brutally beaten up for 15 minutes by the CPI-M workers last week and the accused got in touch with the MLA before and after the incident.
The industrialist also wanted the investigators to examine the legislator's mobile phone to ascertain his links with the culprits.
"It was a pre-planned murder. He was actually beaten to death after week-long planning. It was carried out in a professional manner without causing any external injury. He did not get admitted to the hospital initially out of fear," he told a press meet in Kochi.
The MLA knew everything and he should be named as the first accused in the incident, he said adding that when Deepu was taken to hospital the other day after he was found vomiting blood, the activist revealed to the doctors that he was attacked.
Alleging that over 50 activists of the Twenty20 were attacked in the last 10 months after Sreenijin was elected as the MLA of Kunnathunadu constituency, he also said people of the panchayats ruled by his party were 'terrorised' by the CPI-M and the MLA.
However, Sreenijin rejected the charges and said Sabu was trying to use the death of a youth for political gains.
He claimed that the stand taken by him against the alleged illegal activities by the industry group, owned by Sabu, was the reason for his provocation.
"Truth can not be distorted. It will come out somehow.... I welcome any kind of probe. I will initiate legal action against Sabu for raising politically motivated charges against me," Sreenijin told media.
Deepu succumbed to injuries on Friday at a hospital in Aluva where he was undergoing treatment following the attack allegedly by CPI-M workers over a local political dispute a week ago, police said.
It was alleged that CPI-M activists brutally attacked Deepu, a resident of Harijan Colony in Kizhakkambalam panchayat, for participating in a "lights-off" protest organised by Twenty20 against the Kerala State Electricity Board last Saturday for allegedly opposing a streetlight challenge organised by it at the panchayat to replace old street lamps.
Earlier, police had arrested four persons in connection with the attack on Deepu.
"They were arrested in connection with the attack against the man. Following his death, IPC 302 was invoked against all of them," a senior police official told PTI.
Twenty20 was a charity outfit floated by the Anna-Kitex Group group seven years ago. It became a political platform later and won four grama panchayats in the local body polls held in Kerala in 2020.
