Man kidnapped, beaten up by rival gang

KOCHI: After a lull, goonda gangs have reared their ugly head in the city once again. A man was kidnapped by a gang, stripped naked and brutally beaten up reportedly due to gang rivalry.  Antony Johny, a native of Mavelikkara who is currently staying in the city, was abducted and subjected to brutal physical torture by a 15-member gang, according to the police. Though the incident occurred around 9.30pm on November 11, it came to light only after the video of the torture was aired by television news channels on Tuesday. 

The Ernakulam South police registered a case against Aluva Faizal, aka Thammanam Faizal, Subiraj of Aluva, and Sundaran and Anoop, both natives of Chalikkavattom in Kochi. Antony said in his complaint that a 15-member gang was behind the attack due to resentment over a Facebook post he had made. Police officers confirmed that the incident was the result of rivalry between two gangs. Antony was involved in several criminal cases and he sustained serious injuries on his rib in the attack. He is now recuperating in his house.

It is suspected that Antony is part of the gang headed by Maradu Aneesh, a notorious goon in the city, and the gang that attacked him was headed by Thammanam Faizal, said the police. When visiting a house in mourning at Chilavannur in the city, he was picked up by the rival gang and roughed up. He was then taken to the residence of Subiraj at Chalikkavattom and beaten up again. Then he was taken in an autorickshaw to Angamaly where he was stripped naked and beaten up by the gang using iron rods. They also sprayed pepper powder on his private parts, said the complaint. The gang recorded the assault on a mobile phone and later abandoned him in front of his house.

The case was registered after the police recorded Antony’s statement at the hospital. City Police Commissioner C H Nagaraju said an investigation has already started in the case. Meanwhile, Faisal also lodged a complaint with the Angamaly police alleging that goons who came in two vehicles barged into his house and attacked him following a scuffle at Chilavannur on November 11. However, the police have not registered a case as the preliminary inquiry revealed that it was a false allegation.