Mafia killed 2 for joining Kerala's campaign against drug menace: CM

Thiruvananthapuram: Expressing shock on the incident of two being allegedly killed by drug mafia in Kerala's Kannur, state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Thursday that they were killed for joining the state government's fight against drugs.

He said that the murder happens amid the state's ongoing mass campaign against the social evil and added that strict action would be taken against those behind it.

On Wednesday, 52-year-old Khalid, a fisherman and his brother-in-law, 40-year-old Shameer, were murdered in Kannur district's Thalassery, and it s alleged that those behind the deed were from the drug mafia.

Police said that while the two got killed, a third person, a relative of the two, got attacked. The motive was that one of the victims' son objected to selling banned substances. The son was also brutally attacked a day before the two murders.

CM Vijayan said that nowadays, people are collectively working against drug abuse as well as questioning the sale of the same.

"Drug mafia gangs are upset about it, and such acts must be dealt with without any compromise. The whole society should wake up and work for it," the Chief Minister said here in a statement.

He said that such crimes are a challenge to the land and such gangs must be rooted out through deep investigations and coordinated actions by police and excise departments.

Those who fight against drugs must not face such a fate, and society must make sure of that, he said. The family of the victims of the resistance must not be left helpless too.

"Let's fight together to save our land and future generations from a disaster," the Chief Minister said and conveyed his condolence to the families of the victims.

It was Shameer's son, Shabeel, who was beaten up allegedly by the same gang that killed the two and injured a third person, Shameer's cousin.

Vijayan added that those who were behind the attack were absconding.