KOCHI:The Ernakulam Rural police on Thursday arrested a 35-year-old man for killing his employer and family friend at Perumbavoor. The assailant knocked down the victim using a car and killed him by slitting the throat. Family issues are suspected to be behind the murder. The deceased has been identified as Noushad,38, son of Marakkar, Kanapuram, near Perumbavoor.
According to the Kuruppampady police, the accused Rasheed, son of Aliyar, Kottikkathottathil, Marambilly, asked his employer and long-time friend Noushad to come to a place near his house over phone and when he was coming to the spot on a bike in the morning, Rasheed knocked him down with his car on the road.
However, he didn’t die in the collision. Following this, Rasheed got down from the car and slit his throat thrice with a knife he had kept in his pocket.
In the meantime, locals rushed to the area on hearing the sound of the collision and they took the victim to the nearest hospital.
When he was being taken to a hospital on a vehicle, the accused also managed to get inside the vehicle and accompanied him to the hospital from where he escaped after making sure that the victim had died, said J Kuriakose, Circle Inspector, Kuruppampadi.
Noushad had been running a plywood company in Perumbavoor and the accused, Rasheed, was working as a manager in the company.
A few months ago, the families of the two had gone to Saudi Arabia for performing ‘Umra’ rituals. In the journey, a difference of opinion cropped up between them over some family issues and Rasheed was looking for a chance to take revenge. Both of them had spent their time in the company on Wednesday night as well, said police.
Rasheed was taken into custody from the Aluva railway station premises. The police were following him by tracking his mobile phone.
The accused didn’t object to the arrest and confessed to the police that he had killed him over some family issues. The accused would be produced in the court on Friday.