Kannur violence toll rises to five, hartal turns violent

Police sources said that CPI(M) sympathiser, Kanakan (30), was hacked to death by BJP and RSS activists, at central Elankode under Panur police station limits in the district on Thursday morning.

Police said the group came to the house of the victim around 12 noon in search of his brother Babu, a CPI(M) activist, and attacked Kanakan with sharp-edged weapons after not finding Babu there.

In retaliation, BJP activist Balan (65) was hacked to death in his house at Kurichikara within the samepolice station limits in the evening. A group of people, suspected to be CPI(M) activists, barged into his house and attacked Balan. He succumbed to the injuries at the Thalassery government hospital,

At Kolavellur in Kannur district, police fired five rounds in the air to disperse an irate group of RSS-BJP activists who hurled country bombs and threw stones at a police party. At least 20 policemen, including two circle inspectors were injured in the bomb attack and stone throwing. A police bus was set ablaze by hartal supporters at central Poyilur.

A report from Alappuzha said five policemen, including an ASI, were injured when hartal supporters attacked a police jeep in which a pregnant woman was being taken to the hospital. They also attacked the house of Alappuzha DYSP Radhakrishnan.

In Kochi, a navy vehicle was damaged at Palarivattom, while the driver of another vehicle was injured when BJP supporters threw stones at passers-by. In Kozhikode, an SI and another policeman were injured when BJPsupporters threw stones at them. A Kasaragod report said six people were injured in stone throwing and clashes. More than 100 vehicles were damaged in different parts of the state.