Kochi, Mar 14 (IANS): A division bench of the Kerala High Court on Wednesday stayed an order directing a CBI probe into the murder of a Youth Congress worker in Kannur on February 12.
The stay comes on a plea by the state government, exactly a week after the single bench ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the murder of 30-year-old Shoaib Mohammed, after his father approached the High Court.
The division bench posted the case for detailed hearing on March 23.
Expressing concern, senior Congress leader K. Sudhakaran said the Kannur district party committee will approach the Supreme Court against the verdict.
Young CPI-M legislator A.N. Shamseer, who represents the Thalassery assembly constituency in Kannur, welcomed the stay order.
"We (CPI-M) have nothing to fear in this case even as four of the accused belong to our party.
"We have ousted the four from the party. The one reason why we opposed the CBI probe is because the state police have done a clean job and arrested 11 accused," said Shamseer.
The murder took place on February 12 when Shoaib, along with his friends, was at an eatery near Mattanur. Four persons came in a car and hurled bombs and then fatally slashed him with a sword.
Shoaib died on the way to the hospital.