Five held for attack on youth in Perumbavoor

KOCHI: A bid to sort out a personal issue led to a clash at Perumbavoor injuring a 24-year-old, who was hacked multiple times before being shot at by a gang in the early hours of Wednesday. The Perumbavoor police on Thursday arrested five youths in connection with the attack on Adhil Shah of Okkal. The arrested are Nizar, 33, of Thandekkad in Okkal; Safeer, 27, brother of Nizar; Nithin, 27, of Vengoor; Althaf, 23, of Vengola, and Ashiq, 25, of Thattekadanbhagath, who had been on the run after the incident. 
Adhil Shah, who sustained grave injuries in the attack, and the accused were friends.

“Nizar and Adhil had some personal issues and the clash was a fallout of this rivalry. The gang came to Mavinchuvadu to sort out the issue and when Adhil attempted to leave the spot, the gang knocked his motorcycle down using an SUV and opened fire,” said an officer. Then, the accused went into hiding. Nizar is the owner of the SUV and the police suspect he had opened fire with a pistol. The investigation is on to seize the weapon. 

According to the authorities of a private Kochi hospital in which Adhil has been admitted, his condition is improving. The incident occurred around 1.30am when the gang knocked down the youth, who was riding a motorcycle, with the SUV they were travelling in at Mavinchuvadu near Perumbavoor town. When he fell down, the gang came out of the vehicle and hacked him several times. When he resisted the attacks, one gang-member opened fire using a pistol and escaped from the spot. The police recovered the SUV, which was abandoned by the gang near the crime scene.

Ernakulam Rural SP K Karthik on Thursday examined the spot and reviewed the progress of the ongoing probe. A special squad headed by K Bijumon, DySP, Perumbavoor, is carrying out the investigation. According to the police, Adhil and Nizar had entered into clashes earlier as the latter had abused the mother of Adhil over phone. In order to sort out the issue, the gang came to meet Aadhil. “A special probe team has been constituted to conduct an inquiry. More accused are yet to be arrested. A detailed probe will be conducted on how the accused got the gun. The accused will be interrogated in custody,” said K Karthik, SP, Ernakulam Rural.