THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 40-year-old man was hacked to death by his neighbour and three others following a long-running road dispute in broad daylight in the heart of the city on Sunday.
The deceased was identified as Vishakh, son of Kumari Shyla, of Thaivilakathu Veedu, Champakkada. The Vanchiyoor police have registered a murder case and arrested all four accused. They have been identified as Pradeep Kumar, Rasim, Vineeth and Sivaprasad alias Mukesh.
The incident occurred around 2 pm on the Champakkada-Nalumukku Road near Kaithamukku in Palkulangara. Vishakh, who worked in the dry-cleaning business in the city, had returned home on his scooter around noon. According to the police, Pradeep and the other accused followed him in a car.
After parking his scooter by the roadside, Vishakh was walking towards his house when the accused allegedly attacked him with machetes. He sustained grievous injuries to his hands, legs and abdomen. Hearing his screams, local residents rushed to the spot. By then, the accused had fled in the car.
Vishakh, who was found lying in a pool of blood, was taken to the Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
After the attack, the accused abandoned their car at Pulayanarkotta. The vehicle was recovered by the police later in the evening.
A dog squad inspected the crime scene and the police dog led investigators towards a forest area, where an employee of a nearby refuge centre told the police that three men had been seen getting into an autorickshaw. The police later tracked down the accused in the forest area where the car had been abandoned and arrested them. Forensic and fingerprint experts also examined the scene.
Police said Vishakh and Pradeep had been involved in repeated disputes over a long-standing road and boundary issue. The dispute stemmed from Pradeep’s demand for an access road to his house through the front of Vishakh’s property.
In December last year, the two were involved in a similar clash during which Vishakh allegedly stabbed and injured Pradeep. Vishakh was arrested in that case and later released after judicial remand.
There are also allegations that Vishakh punctured the tyre of Pradeep’s elder brother’s car two days ago. Local residents also claimed that Vishakh had minor mental health issues.
The body has been kept at the Medical College Hospital mortuary. Vishakh is survived by mother Shyla and sister Vijayalakshmi.