Forest Minister A K Saseendran has raised serious doubts about the electrocution death of a 15-year-old student at Vazhhikkadavu near Nilambur, Malappuram. He questioned the timing of protests that began in Malappuram before locals even knew of the boy’s death, calling it suspicious and possibly politically motivated. “This is an election period. Who benefits from such incidents? I suspect a deliberate political conspiracy,” the minister stated.

Saseendran emphasized that the electric wire that caused the accident was an illegal fence installed to trap wild boars, and neither the government nor the forest department had any role in setting it up. He described the tragedy as unfortunate but condemned attempts to politicize it amid elections.

He assured that if investigations uncover any negligence on the part of the forest department, appropriate action would be taken. Meanwhile, two individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident, and the Malappuram police have filed a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The postmortem of Ananthu, also called Jithu, is scheduled today.

This incident has sparked tensions between political parties, with protests and accusations flying over responsibility and intent, highlighting the charged atmosphere of the Nilambur byelection.