The incident occurred when the children were being taken to their school near Pannur in Thalassery, police said. The autorickshaw driver, A V Biju (29), was pulled out from the vehicle and attacked by a six-member gang suspected to be CPI-M workers, as the petrified students watched. Biju, who sustained injuries, was rushed to a local hospital and later taken to the Kozhikode Medical college hospital, police said.
Last month, a 27-year-old RSS worker was hacked to death in front of his aged parents in Papinesseri in the district, allegedly by CPI(M) workers.
On December 1, 1999, K P Jayakrishnan Master, a BJP leader was hacked to death, allegedly by CPI-M workers, in front of his students while he was taking class.