KOCHI: A day after a 23-year-old man was brutally murdered by a four-member gang, police arrested three persons from a hide-out place near Vadavucode on Tuesday morning. The arrested are Mithun, 25, of North Paravur, Sarath, 27, of Udayamperoor, and Atul Sudhakaran, 23, of Mulanthuruthi. Vishnu, a member of the gang, is still absconding.Jojy Mathai, a native of Perumpally, was stabbed to death by the gang at around 6pm on Monday. His father, Mathai, who suffered deep injuries in the altercation, is undergoing treatment at Ernakulam Medical College Hospital, Kalamassery.
According to the police, the gang committed the murder as a retaliation to Joji Mathai allegedly making bad comments on Facebook against a friend of the accused. “Both the accused and the victim are members of quotation gangs.
They are also involved in several criminal cases. It is a clear case of gang war,” said a police officer. “The gang stabbed Jojy after an altercation over a Facebook post. When his father tried to stop them, he too suffered some stab injuries,” the official added.
“A search for the fourth accused in underway. We have traced his hideout place,” said K Karthik, District Police Chief, Ernakulam (Rural). The Rural police are also planning to invoke the Kerala Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA) against the gang.