KOCHI: Police on Thursday arrested a man who stabbed a 45-year-old Moolankuzhi native to death inside a shop at Thoppumpady. The arrested person is Alen Jose, 24, a Mundamveli native, who was taken into custody from a place near his house where he was hiding after committing the murder.
Binoy Stanley was murdered following previous enmity, over the victim’s involvement in shifting Alen to a mental health centre for excessive drug usage, said an official. According to the police, Stanley and Alen were family friends. The accused consumed drugs excessively and often turned violent. Knowing this, Stanley along with his wife, a psychologist by profession, shifted him to Kusumagiri Mental Health Centre, Kakkanad, a few months ago for de-addiction treatment. There he allegedly underwent a shock treatment.
After the incident, Alen nursed a grudge towards Stanley and his family. The accused had threatened Stanley and his family on previous occasions as well. On Wednesday night, Alen arrived at the shipping office-cum-marine products selling shop, where Stanley worked as a manager late Wednesday, and stabbed Stanley with a knife more than 20 times, said a senior officer of City Police, Ernakulam.
The CCTV footage of Alen brutally attacking Stanley was out on Thursday. The visuals showed the conversation between them, and suddenly the victim taking out a knife and repeatedly stabbing the victim before escaping from the place. Though police rushed to the spot and took the victim to Karuvelipady government hospital in an ambulance, he died on the way, an officer said.
Meanwhile, police found that Alen was involved in another criminal case for forcing his way into the house of another person and committing an attack. After taking Alen into custody, he was questioned by the police team till evening before recording his arrest. He will be produced in court later. The body of the deceased was handed over to relatives after autopsy.
Friend turned foe
According to the police, Stanley and Alen were family friends. The accused often consumed drugs excessively and turned violent. Stanley along with his wife, a psychologist by profession, shifted him to a mental health centre a few months ago for de-addiction treatment