THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 19-year-old youth was hacked to death in front of the public by a group of armed men having connections with a drug racket at Karimadom Colony in Fort police station limits on Tuesday evening.
The local sources said the youth, identified as Arshad, was involved in anti-drug campaigning and was part of a local collective that spearheaded the activities against drug peddling, which has been active in the locality. The police said they have detained two people, who were part of the gang that murdered Arshad, and are being questioned. One of the detained is a teenager, while the second is a juvenile.
As per sources, a group of seven people entered into a quarrel with Arshad in the colony expressing reservations against his activities. Some of them were outsiders and they left aft e r the local residents intervened. However, they soon came back with swords and other sharpedged weapons and attacked Arshad.
Some of the people, who were also residents of the colony, joined the outsiders in attacking Arshad. Arshad received several gushing wounds and was rushed to a private hospital. As his wounds were of a serious nature, he was shifted to the Medical College Hospital, where he breathed his last.