After quarrel, history-sheeter slits shop owner’s neck

KOCHI: A quarrel on the street nearly became fatal after a man with a criminal record cut the veins on the neck of a tailoring shop owner using a shaving blade at Kaloor. The Kochi city police on Tuesday arrested Shafeeque, aka Eppi Shafeeque, 35, a native of Mattanchery who is now residing at Karukappilly.

Shafeeque arrived at the tailoring shop, Style Fit, run by Mathew near St Antony’s Church, Kaloor, on Monday evening for enquiring about the manhandling of a lottery vendor. The lottery vendor was roughed up by someone on Saturday evening near the church. 

Shafeeque and Mathew entered into a verbal duel in front of the shop and it was settled after other persons at the shop intervened. However, when Mathew was returning home after closing the shop for the day around 7pm, Shafeeq attacked him with a blade. Mathew, who sustained a severe injury to his neck, was taken to a private hospital in the city by his friends. He is still under treatment in the ICU.

The Ernakulam North police registered a case of attempt to murder based on a complaint lodged by one of Mathew’s friends. Acting on a tip-off, the sleuths picked up Shafeeque from Karukappilly. Shafeeque was involved in several criminal cases in the past including attacking a police officer and a bar employee.

He was sentenced to five-year imprisonment in a case, but was out on bail pending appeal, said the police. He was involved in several theft cases too. He was presented before the court which remanded him to judicial custody.