In a brazen act of gang rivalry, a notorious gang leader and prime suspect in a murder case was hacked to death in broad daylight on Saturday. The incident took place on a busy stretch of the National Highway near Karunagappally and sent shockwaves through the local community and passers-by. The deceased, identified as 30-year-old Atul (alias Aluva Atul) of Krishnavilasam, Madathilkarayama in Oachira, was attacked while returning from Karunagappally police station. Atul was recently released on bail and had to report to the station as part of his bail conditions.
According to the police, Atul was traveling in a car with an associate when they were intercepted by the gang. The incident took place around 11 am when a four-member gang, traveling in a Haryana-registered Innova, allegedly chased Atul’s blue Swift car as it headed towards Oachira. The assailants rammed Atul’s vehicle and pushed him into a ditch dug for the construction of the highway. Once the car was immobilized, the gang smashed the windows with guns, dragged Atul out and inflicted several deep wounds on his head and legs.
Though the police rushed to the spot and shifted the critically injured Atul to a private hospital in Karunagappally, he succumbed to his injuries shortly afterwards. Atul’s companion Manu, who is believed to be driving, sustained injuries but managed to flee the scene during the chaos. Although the attackers fled the scene immediately after the attack, the police obtained CCTV footage of the brutal attack.
Authorities believe the murder is the result of a long-standing gang vendetta. Atul was the prime accused in last year’s brutal killing of rival gang leader Gym Santhosh. In this incident, Atul and his gang allegedly used explosives to break into Santhosh’s house and murdered him in front of his mother. After the incident, Atul went into hiding and was eventually captured by the Thiruvallur police in Tamil Nadu. Officers also recovered a stash of deadly weapons, including a handgun, from his residence.
The Karunagappally area has seen repeated clashes between rival criminal factions in the past few years. Police officials said they have already received significant leads on the identities of the suspects involved in Saturday’s retaliation strike. Specialist teams have been formed to track down the attackers as tensions remain high in the area following the latest escalation in gang warfare.
Published – 14 March 2026 20:18 IST
