Body of accused in IUML worker death case found hanging from tree in Kerala

An accused in the recent killing of a Youth League activist in a post-poll clash allegedly between workers of the CPI(M) and the IUML, was on Friday found dead in an isolated area at Valayam in Kerala, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Ratheesh (36), a Panoor native, they said.

"Some locals informed the police about the body of an unidentified person found hanging from the tree. We circulated his photograph and found that he was an accused in the IUML worker death case," a police official told PTI.

Youth League member Mansur (22) was killed when a group of people waylaid him and his brother Muhsin, a UDF poll agent, near their home. They hurled bombs at the duo before attacking Mansur with sharp weapons on April 6, witnesses had said.

Police said Ratheesh, a neighbour of the deceased IUML worker, was absconding.

Police have already arrested Shinos in the case.

The state police had on Thursday handed over the case to the district crime branch and a 15-member team had initiated probe into the incident.

IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty earlier said that his party lacked confidence in the probe team.

While the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has alleged that the ruling CPI(M) was behind the killing of Mansur, the Left party dismissed the charge and asserted that it was not a political murder.