TIRUNELVELI: A 16-year-old Class 11 student was arrested on Saturday in connection with the murder of former sub-inspector S Zakir Hussain Bijili in Tirunelveli, even as an armed police protection was given to the family of the slain cop, who was hacked to death by a gang on Tuesday over an alleged land dispute.
The round-the-clock protection was provided by Tirunelveli City police after Hussain’s son (Izur Rahan) posted a video in which he alleged threat to his family and he might be the next target as an unidentified “helmet-wearing person today videographed their house and fled”.
Tirunelveli City Police Commissioner Santhosh Hadimani told TNIE that a juvenile was arrested on Saturday for his role in Hussain’s murder. He would be lodged in a juvenile home after being produced before the Juvenile Justice Board. Three special teams are searching for Noor Nisha, an accused in the case, the police commissioner added.
Police sources said that the juvenile was studying in Class 11. He was a relative of Akbar Shah, one of the accused in the murder case. Though the juvenile was not involved in the murder attack, he came near the crime scene to help the other accused, the sources added.
The 60-year-old former police sub-inspector was hacked to death by a gang in Tirunelveli city around 5.45 am on Tuesday in a suspected dispute regarding a parcel of Waqf land.
Zakir Hussain was returning from a mosque after morning prayers when he was attacked by the assailants 100 metres from his house. The gang inflicted deep cut injuries to his neck and head with lethal weapons. Hussain collapsed in a pool of blood and died on the spot. The gang fled the scene, police sources said. Hussain is survived by his wife and two children.