A man, grievously injured in clashes between CPM and BJP/RSS workers in Kaipamangalam of Thrissur district on Saturday, died earlier Sunday, police said. Satheeshan (45), allegedly a heart patient, intervened in the clashes in order to rescue his nephew, an RSS worker. Police said he got hit in the fight after which he returned home. When he complained of chest pain, his family took him to Mother Hospital in Thrissur where he underwent an angiogram and was later put on the ventilator. He passed away Sunday morning and his post-mortem will be conducted, police said. Meanwhile, both parties have come to the fore claiming that Satheeshan (45) is their 'rakthasakshi' (martyr). An officer at the Mathilakam police station, where a case of homicide against unknown persons has been filed, said Satheeshan's son Sandeep has given a statement attesting that his father was a CPM worker. "We are hearing that he is a CPM worker. He had heart-related complications. We are investigating how he died," said PC Bijukumar, inspector at the Kodungallur police station. Gopi (57), Satheeshan's elder brother, however told IndianExpress.com that he witnessed his brother getting beaten by CPM workers. "I was at the spot. I saw a man hitting Satheeshan in the chest. Odichittu thalli (They ran after him and beat him). I can identify him," he said. He said his brother, who was previously with the CPM, had joined the BJP recently along with his son Sandeep. Ajighosh, the BJP leader in-charge of Kaipamangalam, attested to seeing Satheeshan's body in which there were many injuries, including in the chest area. "Two weeks ago, he had joined the BJP though there was no formal ceremony. Several people in the colony had also joined," he said. BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan tweeted, along with a photo of Satheeshan, alleging that 'Leftist terror' had claimed another victim. However, the CPM stuck to its stand that Satheeshan was one of their own. "It's true that his nephew is an RSS worker, but he and his son are inclined to the Communist ideology. In fact, he had recently participated in a programme of the DYFI. RSS workers deliberately stopped our workers who were going for the Koothuparambu martyrs day programme. When clashes began, Satheeshan tried to save his nephew. He was a heart patient," said K Radhakrishnan, the CPM district secretary. "The RSS are deliberately stoking violence in Thrissur. They have now claimed ownership of the dead body. We heard that they even stopped some of their family members from getting into the ambulance," he added. While the post-mortem and the cremation are likely to be conducted on Monday, the BJP has called for a hartal in Kodungallur and Kaipamangalam protesting the CPM violence. Satheeshan's death closely follows the murder of Anandan, an RSS worker near Guruvayur in the district earlier this month. Anandan, who was an accused in the murder of a CPM worker, was hacked to death on the street. Three people, one of whom is the younger brother of the deceased CPM worker, were arrested by the police.
