A man’s body with multiple stab wounds was found in a vegetable stall in Kerala

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The body of an elderly man with multiple stab wounds was found in a vegetable shop at Illickal market in Kumbalangi on Saturday morning.

Police took the suspect into custody and opened a homicide investigation. The suspect is being questioned.

The deceased, who went by the names ‘Mayin’ and ‘Annan’ hailed from somewhere near Palani in Tamil Nadu. He is said to have been working as a cobbler near the market for the past five years.

The body was found around 7 am by a vegetable seller from Pallurutha when he came to open his shop. When he found the victim in a pool of blood, he alerted the police, who cordoned off the area.

According to the police, he was allowed to sleep in front of the vegetable shop for several years. A team consisting of Deputy Commissioner of Police and Deputy Inspector of Police and forensic experts inspected the crime scene.

According to the preliminary investigation, the death was probably caused by a fatal stab wound to the abdomen during the early hours of Saturday morning. The exact time of death would be known only after the post-mortem, police sources said.

The victim suffered multiple injuries, leading police to suspect it was a homicide. Police are still gathering evidence and verifying the victim’s personal information.

CCTV footage from the vicinity of the market helped the police track down the suspect from near the market itself. The detainee is said to be a local worker known to the victim and is suspected of being a long-term drug addict. Police suspect that a dispute over ganja consumption may have led to the alleged murder.

The suspect has yet to be formally arrested and is being questioned by senior officers to focus on a possible motive and sequence of events leading up to the murder. Police are trying to trace the relatives of the victims in Tamil Nadu.

Published – 30 May 2026 13:15 IST