Palachuvadu murder: Six more accused arrested

KOCHI:  A day after the city police arrested seven persons in connection with the brutal assault and murder of a youngster at Palachuvadu, the police arrested six persons who were absconding after the murder. The police registered their arrest when the six surrendered at the office of Thrikkakara Assistant Commissioner of Police on Tuesday around 4 pm. 

The arrested are Anees, 34, of Chowara at Aluva; Azeez, 47, of Olikuzhi at Vazhakkala; K A Nizar, 30, of Chittethukara at Kakkanad; K P Salam, 42, of Olikuzhi at Vazhakkala; K P Hasainar, 37, of Olimugal at Kakkanad; and U H Shibab, 33, of Olimugal at Kakkanad. They will be produced before the court on Wednesday. With this arrest, the number of arrested persons in the crime has gone up to 13, leaving just one more accused Syed Muhammed at large.  

Anees and his father-in-law Azeez had allegedly plotted the assault by making the victim undertake the midnight visit to the latter’s house by inviting him through a WhatsApp message from the mobile phone of a member of their family with whom the victim allegedly had an affair. 

The body of Gibin Varghese, 33, of Vazhakkala was found dumped next to his upturned scooter along the Vennala-Palachuvadu Road on Saturday around 4 am. Though it initially gave the impression of a hit-and-run case, a police team that visited the crime scene soon realised the accident scene was stage-managed and the victim had died somewhere else. The CCTV footage of the accused shifting the body to an autorickshaw to dump it also came in handy to the police.