Kozhikode, June 8 (IANS) DYFI Vadakara Block President Ribesh Ramakrishnan has stepped down from his organisational post just before being questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the controversial ‘Kafir screenshot’ case that triggered a major political storm during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign at Vadakara in Kerala.

The poll battle was a fight till the finish for two sitting legislators, Shafi Parambil from the Congress and the high-flying former Health Minister K.K. Shylaja from the CPI-M. Parambil won a convincing victory, stunning the CPI-M.

The earlier police investigation during the tenure of the Pinarayi Vijayan government was closed, citing a lack of evidence, with the team reporting that it could not trace the original source of the screenshot.

However, the case was revived days after the VD Satheesan-led UDF government assumed office, with the newly formed SIT ordered to conduct a fresh probe.

Ribesh resigned from the post on Saturday, but will continue as a member of the DYFI block committee.

His resignation came soon after the SIT resumed an intensive investigation into the origin and circulation of the controversial screenshot.

The ‘Kafir screenshot’ controversy erupted during the Vadakara Lok Sabha election campaign when a fake social media post containing the term ‘Kafir’, a word widely regarded as offensive when used as a religious slur, was circulated, allegedly targeting UDF candidate Shafi Parambil.

The post triggered a heated political battle between the UDF and LDF, with allegations that the fake content was aimed at creating communal polarisation and influencing the election outcome.

A case was initially registered against MSF leader Muhammad Kasim after his name was allegedly linked to the screenshot.

However, the Kerala High Court later found that there was no evidence of his involvement.

The SIT, functioning under the supervision of DIG Yathish Chandra and led by Rural SP T. Farash, has launched a detailed cyber investigation to identify the creator of the screenshot and trace its first point of circulation.

As part of the renewed investigation, DYFI activist Ribesh Ramakrishnan, along with Manesh and Athul, were summoned for questioning at the Vadakara Crime Branch office.

Athul and Manesh are members of the Red Volunteers Battalion WhatsApp group.

The investigation has reportedly focused on Left-leaning cyber groups, including the WhatsApp group ‘Vadakara Squad’, after findings that the controversial screenshot may have been circulated initially through such platforms.

The SIT has also examined the role of administrators and members of online groups linked to the circulation of the post, expanding the probe beyond earlier inquiries that were limited to certain social media group administrators.

The investigation is now centred on tracing the original source of the screenshot, identifying those responsible for its creation and circulation, and determining whether it was part of an attempt to influence the election through communal messaging.

–IANS

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