Thiruvanthapuram: The Crime Branch of Kerala police arrested a BJP leader for carrying out attack on Swamy Sandeepananda Giri's ashram in 2018. Police on Tuesday arrested Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation corporator and BJP district leader VG Giri Kumar. The Crime Branch's special investigation team was probing the case.
Before arresting the BJP leader, the Crime Branch team on Monday arrested RSS activist Sabari. The arrested RSS activist Sabari passed on information to the special probing team, which led to the nabbing of BJP leader Giri Kumar. The RSS activist Sabari was arrested by the CBI team after four-and-a-half years.
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Sabari, a resident of Karumamkulam, was arrested from his house on Monday night. Sabari was directly involved in vandalising three vehicles and torching a portion of the ashram. Conspiracy charges were added to the main case registered against BJP leader VG Giri Kumar. The police arrested Giri Kumar after summoning him to the crime branch's office at Petta in Thiruvananthapuram. Before taking Giri Kumar into custody, Karumamkulam native and RSS worker Sabari was arrested by the police on Monday night.
Sources said that after procuring information about Giri Kumar's role in torching the ashram, it was learnt that he was in contact with two persons, who were directly involved in the arson attack. The Crime Branch during the investigation also found that the BJP leader was providing direct assistance to his cohorts.
Sandeepananda Giri's ashram located at Kundamankadavu in Thiruvananthapuram district of the state was torched when women devotees who were protesting for entry to the Sabarimala temple. The incident happened when the agitation was at its peak. In the wee hours of October 27, 2018, three vehicles, including two cars, had been destroyed and a portion of the ashram was torched.
