Kerala communists have a history of trying to create martyrs out of criminals who die for their political outfits. Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) is testing whether they can make Sherin (26), who was killed in the explosion while handling crude bombs in Muliyanthode near Panoor in Kannur district, also a martyr.
CPM Panoor Kizhakkuvayal branch committee member Prakashan came forward with a Facebook post portraying Sherin, who was killed in the explosion during bomb-making, as a martyr. It is noteworthy that the CPM activists waited till the Lok Sabha elections voting in Kerala to show their true colours and express grief over the death of Sherin.
The blast that took place on 5 April resulted in the loss of one life and injured three others in Panoor of Kannur district. However, the communist party denied any involvement in the blast.
In the wee hours, bombs went off at Muliyathode in Panoor, which was relayed to Ramjith P.G, the Panoor sub-inspector of police, around 1.15 am. Five people were injured in the incident, of which Sherin died at the hospital. The FIR records the time of the explosion as 12.30 am.
Although the police station is only about 2 km from the site, the FIR says the police learned about the incident from the Koothuparamba Hospital, where the injured sought treatment. A police team reached the site of the explosion only around 4 am.
Sherin was declared dead by morning, while another youth, Vineesh (24), the son of CPM leader Nanu, was shifted to a private hospital in Kozhikode after losing both of his palms in the explosion. The police remand report stated that the intention behind the bombs that accidentally went off in Panoor was to cause unrest in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
When the police made arrests the following morning, the explosion and death that had been quietly reported in small newspaper columns on 6 April had grown into a significant story. The incident was allegedly carried out by members of the CPM quasi-militant youth wing, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). After a small break, Kannur’s bomb politics was back in the news.
Kerala news networks referenced an intelligence report purportedly ignored by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on bomb-making in the Panoor area. The CM denied that such a dossier ever existed. According to sources, bomb-making may have been mentioned in State Special Branch (SSB) reports on law and order, but that’s relatively standard for Kannur.
On 7 April, M.V. Govindan, CPM state secretary, declared that the party had nothing to do with the Panoor bomb blast case. Local leaders insisted that Vineesh, the injured party member, had been expelled from the CPM earlier. Nonetheless, images captured on cellphones revealed that K.K. Sudheer Kumar, N. Anil Kumar, and A. Ashokan of the CPM local committee and other committee members were visiting Sherin’s residence.
By 8 April, more arrests were recorded, including those of P.V. Amal Babu (28), Midhun Lal (31), Athul, C. Sayooj, Akshay (27), and Shijal, associated with the CPM’s youth wing. The DYFI Facebook accounts list Sayooj as the DYFI unit secretary of Kadungampoyil, Athul as the DYFI joint secretary of the same unit, Amal Babu as the unit secretary of Meethale Kunnothuparamba, and Thankesapura Shajil (27) the unit secretary of Kunnothuparamba. The police also recorded the arrests of Ashwanth, Vinod, and Vineesh, who were receiving medical treatment for their injuries sustained during the incident.
At this point, the CPI(M) version changed slightly. Speaking to the media on 8 April, Govindan stated that his DYFI colleagues had only arrived at the scene after learning about the incident and offered to transport the injured to the hospital. CM Vijayan also tried to brush aside party cadres’ involvement by invoking humanitarian justifications.
There was a great deal of controversy when senior CPM leaders showed up at the funeral of the person who died while assembling crude bombs. All these raised many objections from within the communist party. Some questioned why the accused tried to escape and had to be rounded up by the police.
V.K. Sanoj, state secretary of DYFI, who is from Kannur, denied knowing that DYFI cadres were involved in the fabrication of the crude bombs. Senior CPM leaders argued that it was only natural for politicians to visit bereaved families in their locality.
Panoor is a part of the Koothuparamba assembly constituency, even though it is in the Kannur district. The CPM is still scarred from the violent slashing death of rebel Marxist leader T.P. Chandrasekharan in 2012. Congress leaders in Kannur claimed that those apprehended in the Muliyathode case were connected to T.K. Sajith, who was found guilty of murder in the Chandrasekharan case.
K.K. Rema, widow of Chandrasekharan, who is currently an MLA from the nearby Vadakara assembly constituency, has stated that Shijal, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the bomb-making in Muliyathode, oversees the crusher units owned by Geothi Babu, the CPM leader was found guilty in February by the Kerala High Court in the Chandrasekharan murder case.
Rema also levelled another shocking accusation: Geothi Babu was spending his time in Pariyaram Medical College, not in jail, under the guise of needing dialysis regularly. Geothi Babu’s nephew is Amal Babu, the Meethale Kunnothuparamba DYFI unit secretary detained in the Muliyathode case.
From the beginning, police officers in charge of the case have remained tight-lipped. There have been no official briefings, possibly due to orders from above.
The media contacted Sumith Kumar, the Station House Officer (SHO) at Kolavalloor, to inquire why, despite the station’s proximity to the explosion scene, no one from the station could reach the scene. However, he declined to comment and directed them to contact the Panoor SHO.
The Panoor SHO mentioned a gang conflict between two groups that started on 8 March during a local temple celebration. Still, he swiftly clarified that only the Koothuparamba Assistant Commissioner of Police, K.V. Venugopalan, could speak authoritatively. Venugopalan stated that the reason behind the bombing was an internal gang feud between two gangs inside the Kaivelikkal Kuzhambil temple.
(Clashes broke out during the temple festival on 8 March. Vineesh (who lost his palms in the Panoor explosion) was leading a criminal group at Muliyanthode. They clashed with the group of Devanand, a native of Kolavalloor.)
Twelve persons are accused in the Panoor bomb blast case, including Sherin, who was killed and three others who were injured. It was reported that DYFI official Shijal is the principal planner of the bomb-making. The police found that he was present at the scene when the blast took place. Panoor CPM area committee member Sudhir Kumar and Cheruvancheri local committee member A Asokan visited Sherin’s house.
Koothuparamba Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) (merged with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in March 2022 but continues with the Kerala communists) MLA KP Mohanan attended the funeral. CPM repeats that the party has nothing to do with the Panoor bomb blasts and claims they are not aware of the party’s local leaders visiting the deceased’s house.
All those arrested know bomb-making. The arrested DYFI unit in-charge Amal Babu is also a member of the group that hid the bomb, police said. After the blast, steel bombs were found hidden in the nearby area.
It is alleged that the bombs were meant to attack CPM’s opponents. The reactions of the party’s senior leaders seemed to corroborate this suspicion.
Notably, crude bombs hurled by CPM cadres following the declaration of results of the 2021 assembly elections caused the loss of life of a young Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) activist in the same area.
Clashes broke out in the same region on 7 April between CPM and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a Congress ally workers. On what was the second anniversary of Mansoor’s death, the clashes allegedly took place when communist workers shamelessly visited the slain IUML leader’s home seeking votes for former Kerala health minister and CPM leader K.K. Shailaja.
The event concerned the 2021 reported murder of IUML cadre Mansoor by CPM cadres after the assembly vote results were announced (CPM won convincingly). Incidentally, the CPM extremist attack on Mansoor’s home started with the throwing of homemade bombs.
Police arrested Mundathode-based CPI (M) activist Prashob, who assembled the explosive devices and who was responsible for inciting terror on the day of the murder. Additionally, weapons were found at the Prashob’s home. Unknown individuals, meanwhile, set fire to CPM worker P.P. Jabir’s (the tenth accused who escaped from the scene of Mansoor’s murder) cars in the area.
Congress cadres and IUML members, according to M.K. Muneer of the IUML, were the intended targets of these bombs. The police remand a report against P.V. Amal Babu and C. Sayooj, the sixth and seventh accused, further supporting the allegations.
CPM has a history of using Hindu In Name Only (HINO) atheists to commit communal crimes and blame the BJP/RSS. Was the CPM planning an assault on the minorities to blame the Hindus? What remains to be determined is who the CPM party leaders behind this evil scheme were.
Every year, the CPM marks 6 June as Martyrs Day for victims who laid down their lives in ‘resistance against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).’ A memorial was erected in remembrance of the martyrs, and each year, prominent CPM figures, such as this year’s Lok Sabha candidate in Vadakara, K.K. Shailaja, arrive to recognise the sacrifice made. Will bombmaker Sherin find himself on this year’s martyr list?
