Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Vijay Sakhare has dismissed the allegations that the police had failed in preventing the murder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader S.K. Sreenivasan at Melamuri here on Saturday.
Sreenivasan was hacked to death by a six-member gang in less than 24 hours after Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) worker A. Subair was murdered by a gang at Elappully on Friday. The back-to-back murders in apparent retaliation shocked the State, triggering criticism against the police and the government.
Mr. Sakhare, who reviewed a meeting of police officers here on Sunday, said that it would be difficult to prevent a murder if it was planned. “Both the murders were planned. It is very difficult to prevent planned murders. We cannot say there was police failure,” he said.
Mr. Sakhare said that apart from nabbing the hit gangs who executed the murder, the police would pin the conspirators of the twin murders. Those who executed the murders were mere pawns or expendables. Those who conspired and planned the murders would be brought to book, he said.
Mr. Sakhare said that two special teams of police officers under two Dy.SPs were investigating the murders, and they made a good progress in their inquiry. Several persons were taken into custody, some were being questioned and some others being closely monitored. However, he refused to reveal the names of those taken into custody.
Mr. Sakhare said that surveillance camera footages collected from different places had come handy for the investigators. A camera footage clearly showed six persons arriving on three motorbikes, and three of them attacking Sreenivasan at his shop at Melamuri around 1 p.m. on Saturday.
However, identification of the culprits was a little hard from the footage, police sources said. The police reportedly identified the motorbikes used by the assailants. A senior officer requesting anonymity said the investigating team had got some vital clues that could lead them to the culprits.
Mr. Sakhare said the investigation was in the right direction, and arrests would be made soon. Describing the murders as retributive and political, the police said the killing of Sreenivasan was in retaliation for the murder of Subair.
