THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Farooq alias Karatte Farooq, who was serving a life sentence in the infamous LTTE Kabeer murder case, died in the wee hours of Friday. He was 52. Family sources said Farooq was a heart patient and died due to complications while out on parole.
A native of Vallakkadavu, Farooq was sentenced to life for murdering Kabeer, a rival gangster, in front of Attakkulangara sub-jail in 1999. The murder had created a sensation as Farooq and two other accomplices hurled bombs at Kabeer, who was being escorted to the prison by the policemen.
The trial court had awarded capital punishment, which was concurred by the High Court. However, the Supreme Court quashed the death sentence and turned it into a life sentence. Farooq was recently released on parole after the state government decided to release prisoners to decongest prisons in the wake of covid surge.