Salem:
Police investigating the murder of BJP Tamil Nadu unit General Secretary V Ramesh suspect the involvement of three absconding accused in the 1998 Coimbatore serial blasts.
Fakruddin alias 'police' Fakruddin and Bilal Malik from Madurai along with Panna Ismail from Melapalayam in Tirunelveli district are suspected to be involved in the murder of Mr Ramesh, Salem Superintendent of Police R Shaktivel said.
52-year-old Ramesh was hacked to death while he was returning home after visiting the BJP office on Friday night in Salem that sparked an outrage in the party which gave a call for a state-wide bandh tomorrow.
A total of 17 stab injuries were found on Mr Ramesh's body. He was cremated yesterday.
The BJP has demanded that the Tamil Nadu government order a judicial probe into the murder. BJP's national leaders Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj condemned the killing demanding action against the guilty.
The Coimbatore serial blasts before an election meeting to be addressed by senior BJP leader LK Advani had left 58 people dead and over 200 others injured.