KOZHIKODE: Koyilandy court remanded Abhilash (30), the accused in the case of killing CPM Koyilandi Central Local Secretary P V Sathyanathan (66). The accused is a neighbor and former CPM worker.

Locals say that the suspicion that Sathyanathan was behind his expulsion from the party led to the murder. The incident took place around 10 pm during the song festival of Cheripurpur on Thursday.

Sathyanathan had arrived with his family. As soon as the grandchild fell asleep, he handed over to his daughter and went into the crowd. Immediately Abhilash stabbed him with a surgical blade. Sathyanathan was stabbed in the neck and chest and was dead by the time he was taken to the Koilandi Taluk Hospital. Abhilash, who ran away surrendered to the Koyalandy police. He was a Koyilandy municipality driver for a long time. Abhilash, who had returned from working in the Gulf for some time, was the driver of an oxygen cylinder delivery vehicle.

The police found the surgical blade used in the murder. DIG Johnson, Kannur IG and Sethuram, SP Arvind Sukumar, DYSPs Hariprasad, Sajesh Vazhavalappil, Biju, Thamarassery DYSP Pramod, CIs Melvin Jose, N Sunilkumar, Forensic Squad and Dog Squad conducted evidence collection in the temple premises and at Sathyanath's house.

Postmortem was conducted at Kozhikode Medical College. There are 6 wounds on the dead body. The cause of death was 3 deep wounds to the neck and chest.

He was cremated in the house around 9 pm. Thousands including leaders paid their last respects.

CPM demanded a thorough investigation into the murder.

A 14-member special team of police will investigate. Kozhikode Rural District Police Chief Dr. Arvind Sukumar is in charge.

BJP District President Adv V K Sajeevan filed a complaint with the Kozhikode City Police Commissioner demanding that a case be filed against the CPM representatives and leaders who spread false propaganda through social media that RSS and BJP workers were behind the murder.