THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 39-year-old man was killed during a drunken brawl at Kattela, near Sreekaryam in Thiruvananthapuram, in the early hours of Sunday.
The deceased has been identified as Saju, a resident of Kattela.
The police said Saju had joined his friends for a booze party near Kattela on Saturday night. During the party, Saju's mobile phone was allegedly snatched by his friends. When Saju tried to take it back, a clash erupted between him and his friends.
Saju was reportedly beaten up using wooden planks and stones. He was abandoned in the place and the rest of them left the place without informing anyone about the assault.
The passerby had noticed Saju lying unconscious, but they thought he was drunk and did not intervene. Later, by 2 am on Sunday, one of the passersby informed the police. The police arrived and shifted him to the Medical College hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
The police have registered a murder case and have started a probe. One of the persons, who allegedly beat up Saju, is a habitual offender with several criminal cases registered against him.