Hartal in Alappuzha today over boy murder

Alappuzha: A Plus-Two student was killed in an attack by a 10-member gang at Pattanakkad near Cherthala  late on Wednesday night.  He was  identified as Anandhu, 17, (Nandu), student of Rama Varma Higher Secondary School, Vayalar.  He is the  son of Ashokan, Kalappurackal Nikarthil house, ward number X, Pattan- akkad panchayat. Alleging that he was killed by RSS men as he had left the organisation,  the LDF and the UDF called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Alappuzha district  on Friday. Cherthala town is spared from the hartal due to the festival at Sree Karthiyayini temple, said CPM district  secretary Saji Cheriyan.

The BJP denied any role in the murder. The police said the incident was the result of a row over the boy’s love affair with a girl. The gang had an altercation with him earlier in the school. Cherthala circle inspector  V.P. Mohanlal said  the incident occurred around 11 pm during the festival at the Raja Rajeswari temple, Neelimangalam, near Vayalar. A gang intercepted the boy while he was returning from the temple and thrashed him.  He fell unconscious  and the local people rushed him to Cherthala taluk hospital where he was declared  brought dead, the CI said. The police took into custody 10 youths in connection with the incident.

The body was handed over to the relatives after post-mortem at the Vandanam Medical College.   He is survived by his mother Vimala and sister Athira. Mr K. Soman, president, BJP district committee, said that they had no role in the incident and admitted that the family members of the slain boy were associated with RSS. This is the fifth murder in the district during the last four months. On March 4, a DYFI activist was stabbed to death by a group while a stage programme was  progressing  in connection with the festival of Alissery temple here.