The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : RSS functionary killed, hartal today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

RSS functionary killed, hartal today

Staff Reporter

VHP blames religious fundamentalist outfits

Thiruvananthapuram: A top district functionary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was hacked to death by an armed gang at Kilimanoor in the early hours of Tuesday. The police identified the deceased as N. Sunil Kumar (36), RSS jilla seva pramukh and one of the accused in the attack on the 60-year-old United States national and Protestant missionary Joseph Cooper, near Koppam Harijan colony in January 2003. Sunil Kumar also served as the district secretary of the Hindu Aikya Vedi.

The RSS and the Hindu Aikya Vedi have called for a 12-hour hartal from 6 a.m. in the district in protest against the murder. In a press release here, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad said certain religious fundamentalist outfits were behind the murder.

Superintendent of Police, Rural, S. Gopinath said the police were yet to establish the motive for the crime or the identity of the attackers. According to police, Sunil Kumar, an agent of Janmabhoomi newspaper, was hacked to death by a seven-member armed gang at Mahadevashwaram Temple junction around 5.45 p.m. He was packing the day's newspapers on the verandah of a shop when the assailants arrived in a white Toyota Qualis van. The assailants were wearing masks and carrying swords.

Anil Kumar started running when he saw the gang members. The police said the gang chased Anil for a short distance and hacked him down. Anil sustained grievous injuries on his head, arms and legs. Local people lifted the seriously injured RSS worker from the middle of the road in front of the Kilimanoor Bharath Petroleum outlet and took him to Karette junction in an autorickshaw. From there he was taken by car to the Medical College Hospital.

The police said Anil was dead by the time he was brought to the hospital. There were nearly 25 cuts on his body. Anil's right arm was severed in the attack.

Five swords, suspected to have been used for the murder, were later found abandoned on the road at Pappalapangal Thadom. The police suspect that the registration number of the vehicle used by the assailants (KL 01 V 1128) to be false. An official said Sunil Kumar owned an upholstery shop in Kilimanoor. "He must have political opponents because of his RSS leanings. But to the best of our knowledge, Sunil Kumar had no business or personal rivalry", an official. Senior police officials were camping in Kilimanoor.

The body of Sunil Kumar was taken to his native place at Koppam after post-mortem examination. Sunil Kumar is survived by his wife, Sulabha and sons, Sreejith and Sreehari.

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