Published 14:58 IST, September 5th 2020
Kerala: Explosion at Illegal bomb factory in Kannur, three members of CPI-M injured
An explosion took place at an illegal bomb-making factory at Kadirur panchayat in Kannur. The incident happened at around 1.30 PM on Friday.
An explosion took place at an illegal bomb-making factory at Kadirur panchayat in Kannur. The incident happened at around 1.30 PM on Friday. The explosion took place at the village panchayat of Kadirur, a citadel of the Communist Party of India -Marxist (CPI-M). Three members of the CPIM are grievously injured in the explosion. One of them also includes an accused in the TP Chandrashekhar murder case who was later exonerated by the court.
As per the police statement, the injured are Azhiyur Kallaroth Raneesh (32), Sajilesh ( 30) and Neeraj (28)
Reports suggest that the explosion has completely shattered away from the palms of the two workers who were making the steel bombs in the makeshift tent, located near Ponniam Bridge at Choola Road . The injured were rushed to the Thalassery Cooperative Hospital for treatment.
Thalassery DYSP Moosa Vallikkadan is leading the investigation. The blast has embarrassed the ruling CPIM party at a time when District collector T V Subhash had called an all-party meeting, just a day before this incident, to end the increasing political violence in the district. Kannur Sp Yatheesh Chandra visited the place.
The police team has also recovered 12 steel bombs from the makeshift tent. The police said there were 6 people in the tent during the time of the explosion.
The CPIM party machinery along with its youth wing DYFI has been on an aggressive mode ever since the double murder of their cadres in Venjaramoodu last Sunday, a day before the festival of Thiruvonam. There have been numerous reports that pointed Congress workers' hands in the murdeṛ.
In reaction, the party had vandalised multiple congress offices across the state including Kannur. The party had commemorated a black day across the state to mark their protest in the gruesome murder.
District of Kannur, which is known for its political rivalries had become sensitive zones of conflict. An unconfirmed report says the accidental blast at the illegal bomb-making factory suggests that the party might have been preparing for the retaliatory strike to avenge the double murder.
Raneesh is reported to be the 28th accused in the TP Chandrashekhar murder. Chandrashekhar a local leader of a breakaway group of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) posthumously shot to national prominence after he was hacked to death by members of CPIM on 4 May 2012.
With panchayat elections scheduled in November, the incident raises concerns about the issue of safety and security during elections.
CPIM worker taken into custody
Ashwath (22) has been taken into custody in connection with the explosion at the illegal bomb factory in Kadirur.
The Cpim party worker is the 3rd accused in the murder attempt of C.O.T Naseer. In the police search at the factory on Saturday, the police discovered a country bomb as well as steel bomb. Earlier, 12 steel bombs were recovered.
Police states that explosion happened during the making of the bomb.
Updated 16:01 IST, September 6th 2020