Kozhikode, October 15, 2025 – In a significant escalation of the investigation into the suicide of 26-year-old software engineer Anandu Aji, Kozhikode police on Wednesday recorded statements from five Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers named in his controversial suicide note, but stopped short of arrests, citing the need for further corroboration amid a raging ideological storm. The development has deepened the political chasm in Kerala, with the Congress accusing authorities of a "soft-pedaling" cover-up to shield the RSS, while the BJP decries the probe as a "witch-hunt" designed to malign Hindu organizations.
Aji, a vocal online critic of the RSS from Malappuram district, was discovered hanged in a Kozhikode lodge on October 12, leaving behind a detailed suicide note and video message alleging relentless harassment by RSS affiliates over his social media posts and pressure to participate in shakhas (training sessions). The note, which explicitly named five local RSS pracharaks (propagators) for "ideological coercion" and "threats to his family," has become a flashpoint, with Aji claiming the group targeted him for exposing "child indoctrination" at RSS camps.
Police Grill Suspects: 'Routine Inquiry, No Basis for Custody Yet'
A team led by Assistant Commissioner V. Rajendran summoned the five individuals—aged 28 to 45 and active in Kozhikode's Vellayil and Kuttichira shakhas—to the City Police Station for questioning from 10 AM to 4 PM. The workers, all local traders and teachers, denied any involvement, describing Aji as a "troublemaker" whose posts "incited communal hatred" but insisting no direct threats were issued. "We cooperated fully; this is a smear campaign. Anandu was depressed from work stress, not us," one of the questioned individuals, speaking anonymously, told reporters outside the station.
Police confirmed the session was "preliminary" under Section 174 CrPC for unnatural death inquiry, with no invocation of abetment to suicide (Section 306) charges yet. "Statements were recorded to establish timelines and verify claims. The note's contents are under forensic scrutiny, including digital forensics on Aji's devices for threat records. Arrests require concrete evidence—no rash actions," Rajendran stated, adding that the probe could expand to include cyber experts if online harassment links solidify. Autopsy results, pending from the Government Medical College Hospital, are expected by Thursday, potentially clarifying the cause of death.
The family, represented by Aji's brother, welcomed the questioning but expressed frustration over the lack of detentions. "These five were the ones he named—why let them walk free? We're scared for our safety; the RSS's reach is long," the brother said, echoing demands for a Crime Branch takeover.
Ideological Firestorm: Congress vs. BJP in Assembly and Streets
The inquiry has supercharged Kerala's polarized discourse, with the Congress leading protests outside the police station, where over 200 Youth Congress activists clashed with barricades, chanting "RSS Out, Justice In." KPCC president K. Sudhakaran, addressing the rally, lambasted the LDF government: "Questioning without arresting? This is Pinarayi Vijayan's gift to his ideological allies. The RSS must be booked for abetment—the note screams conspiracy!" The party has petitioned the State Human Rights Commission for an independent probe, citing Aji's claims of "systematic targeting" as potential hate speech violations.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra amplified the call on X, posting: "Questioning RSS workers is a start, but no arrests? Kerala's police mustn't bow to pressure. Anandu Aji's voice from beyond demands real action against ideological bullies." Her tweet, viewed over 1 million times, has galvanized national attention, drawing support from Tamil Nadu's DMK and Andhra Pradesh Congress units.
The BJP and RSS hit back vehemently. State BJP president K. Surendran staged a counter-dharna in Kozhikode, accusing the Congress of "defiling a suicide with communal venom." "These baseless smears on RSS—dedicated to nation-building—are Congress's election ploy. We demand CBI intervention to expose the real culprits behind Aji's depression," Surendran declared, flanked by the questioned workers who waved saffron flags. RSS Kerala pranth sanghchalak Madhu Pisharody issued a statement rejecting the allegations as "fabricated propaganda," vowing legal action for defamation and highlighting the organization's "1,000 shakhas free of such malice."
The LDF, balancing its secular credentials with RSS's growing footprint in northern Kerala, has remained measured. Home Minister M.B. Rajesh assured the assembly of "impartiality," stating, "Politics won't derail the probe; evidence will guide arrests." CPI(M) Politburo member M.A. Baby privately urged restraint, fearing the row could alienate Hindu voters ahead of local polls.
Broader Shadows: IT Suicides and RSS Scrutiny in Kerala
Aji's death—the 16th IT professional suicide in Kerala this year—spotlights the sector's mental health crisis, exacerbated by 60-hour weeks and social pressures. Yet, the RSS angle has thrust the organization under a microscope, echoing Tamil Nadu's recent curbs on shakhas in schools and Karnataka's ongoing review. Activists like those from the Kerala Pulaya Maha Sabha have linked Aji's claims to broader "majoritarian intimidation," calling for a statewide audit of RSS camps.
As tensions simmer—with more protests planned for Thursday—the Kozhikode probe teeters on a knife-edge. For Aji's family, each delay is torment; for Kerala's fractious politics, it's ammunition in an unending ideological war. Will evidence tip the scales toward arrests, or fade into partisan fog? The courts, and conscience, await.
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