Key conspirator in murder held

Kochi: The team probing the Abhimanyu murder case has arrested the state secretary of the Campus Front of India, P.M. Muhammed Rifa, who is suspected to be the ‘main conspirator’ of the attack. He is also said to have a direct role in the murder.

Rifa, a native of Thalassery in Kannur and a third-year LLB student of a private college in Ernakulam, was held from his hideout in Bangalore.

According to sources, it was Rifa who planned the attack and co-ordinated the gang members.

“It was under his leadership that nearly 15 members assembled at the Cochin House, a hostel run by the Popular Front of India, near the Ernakulam North railway station, on the night of the attack on July 1,” they said.

Cops suspect that he mobilised the gang to the Maharaja’s College after the main accused J.I. Mohammed, a third-year undergraduate student of the college, passed on a message on the mobile phone.

“We’re interrogating him to unravel the conspiracy as we suspect the attack was a pre-planned one,” they said.

The cops hope Rifa’s arrest would further reveal the development on the day of the incident. They also hope to find who stabbed Abhimanyu.

Another suspect identified as Fazaluddin surrendered before a magistrate during the day. He is accused of helping the gang members flee from the spot and go into hiding soon after the attack.

The cops had arrested Saneesh, a native of Palluruthy, who was directly involved in the murder, the other day. He was leading the four-member  gang from Palluruthy, who were members of the killer squad. An accused in the High Court march case last year, Saneesh was out on bail.

Meanwhile, the sources said the cops have taken a few more into custody and their arrests would be recorded only in the coming days when an identification parade will also be held.

The investigation team has prepared a list of 30 accused in the case, including 15 who had a direct role.