Police identified the victim as CK Deepu, 37, who lives in a Dalit colony in Kizhakkambalam panchayat, a stronghold of Twenty20. Deepu was attacked on February 12 and had been on life support. Two days back, police had arrested four CPI(M) workers on charges of murder attempt.

Deepu, a local leader of Twenty20 at Kizhakkambalam, was assaulted while taking part in his organization’s’ ‘light off agitation’’ in protest against local legislator PV Sreenijin. Twenty20 had alleged that the CPI(M) legislator was thwarting all developmental activities in four panchayats, under his constituency, which are ruled by Twenty20. Sreenijin had come out against Twenty20 mobilizing funds from the public for erecting street lights in the four panchayats.

In protest against Sreenijin, Twenty20 had called for a light-off agitation at all houses for 15 minutes last Saturday night. Deepu also took part in the agitation at his colony, which allegedly provoked the CPI(M). The assailants threatened the Dalit youth with dire consequences if he complained to police. Two days later, his health condition deteriorated, leading to hospitalization.

Kizhakkambalam panchayat member Nisha Aliyar alleged that when Deepu was attacked, CPI(M) legislator Sreenijin was present in the same colony. “When I went to the colony after hearing the attack, the assailants also threatened me. Soon, Sreenijin also reached the spot. He was at another house in the vicinity when the youth was tortured,’’ she alleged.

Kizhakkambalam panchayat president Mini Ratheesh alleged that Deepu, an active worker of Twenty20, had not even ventured out of his colony after the attack fearing CPI(M). “CPI(M) is worried about the developments brought to the colony by Twenty20. We don’t even have the legitimate right to protest against the local legislator, who is preventing all our developmental works using government machinery,’’ she said.

Sreenijin, son-in-law of former SC chief justice KG Balakrishnan, however, said Deepu suffered from liver cirrhosis. “Let the details of the postmortem come out. If CPI(M) men are involved in the attack, they should be punished,’’ he said.