KOCHI: Three persons on Monday were taken into custody in connection with the case in which hired hoodlums chopped off the arm of a shop owner at Edakochi here. Radhakrishnan,36 of Manjummel, Shijith S,35 of Edakkunnam and Vinu Joseph 28 of Manjummel were arrested from their hideout in Mysuru, according to K G Aneesh, Palluruthy Circle Inspector.
“After committing the crime on June 20, the accused persons fled to Mysuru. However, following a tipoff, we raided the place and arrested the accused persons,” he said. Officers said a Dubai-based cigarette smuggling racket was behind the incident.
One of its members had given the quotation to the gang which was offered `10 lakh to bump off Balasubramanian, one of whose friends was a former member of the smuggling racket.“He is now in jail and the smugglers suspected him of squealing on their activities with the help of Balasubramanium,” police said. Police have received information about the person who awarded the ‘hit’ job. “In the interrogation, the accused disclosed the involvement of more persons. Some are currently abroad,” they said.