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Kerala: Attacks spark fears of revival of political violence in Kannur

KANNUR: Police are yet to make any headway in the case pertaining to the attack on former CPM local committee member and DYFI leader-turned rebel C O T Nazeer at Thalassery . Similarly, those who hurled bombs at the houses of a woman voter, KJ Shalet Sebastian and a UDF polling agent, VTV Padmanabhan, at Pilathara near Payyannur are also still at large.




Even as police officers in the district claimed that investigations are going on, such incidents have triggered fears of revival of political violence in the region. Sources said the police officers have beefed up security in many sensitive areas fearing an escalation of the current tension.

In the past few weeks, several incidents of crude bomb attacks were reported from many places near Payyannur fanning fears of spiralling violence. What is causing concern to the police is that in many interior places there are no surveillance cameras and hence it would be tough to trace criminals in case of any untoward incidents.

"In the case of the Pilathara incident, there are no surveillance cameras in the vicinity and hence it is difficult to identify the criminals behind the attack. But we have made security arrangements to prevent such incidents in future," said Thaliparamba DSP PK Krishnan.

Shalet's house was attacked at midnight, hours after she cast her vote during the repoll at the controversial booth number 19 in Pilathara UP School on May 19, where bogus voting was first reported. On April 23, she could not cast her vote, as somebody else had voted in her name.

Though the CPM claimed the party has no role in the attacks, the Congress does not believe so. The police investigation is centred around a few CPM workers in Thalassery.

Sources said they are in the process of tracing phone records of some suspects but they have already left the district.

District police chief G Siva Vikram said police, as well as striker forces, have been deployed at all sensitive areas.

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