Kerala Govt rejects demand for CBI investigation into YC worker's killing

Thiruvananthapuram: The recent killing of a Youth Congress (YC) activist, allegedly by the ruling CPI(M) workers, rocked the Kerala Assembly today, with the opposition UDF members disrupting the proceedings after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rejected their demand for a CBI probe into it.

The Congress-led opposition members, who had come to the House wearing black badges to protest the killing of Shuhaib by a gang at Mattannur in Kannur district on February 12, started raising slogans, demanding a CBI probe into the incident, as the proceedings began.

Holding placards, with photos of the mutilated body of the YC activist, they trooped to the Well of the House and placed a banner in front of Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan's podium, forcing an early adjournment of the House.

Earlier, the Question Hour was also suspended following the opposition's protest.

During the Zero Hour, the opposition took up the issue as an adjournment motion and said the family of the slain YC worker had no trust in the ongoing investigation by the state police.

Replying to the notice of the motion, moved by Sunny Joseph (Congress) on the issue, Vijayan rejected the demand for a CBI probe and said the state police was conducting an efficient, impartial and scientific inquiry.

Five persons were already arrested and if any more were involved, they would also be brought to book, the chief minister said, adding that the conspiracy angle would also be probed by invoking section 120(b), IPC (criminal conspiracy).

"The investigation by the state police is going on in the right direction. So, there is no need for a CBI probe," he said.

Stating that Shuhaib's killing was "highly condemnable", the chief minister said it could not be justified in any manner.

He added that the state government was of the view that individual and ideological differences should not lead to violence.

Vijayan also made it clear that the CPI(M)-led

LDF government would

initiate stringent action against the perpetrators of political violence, whoever they

might be.