In a swift and coordinated operation, the police arrested all ten persons allegedly involved in the brutal daylight killing of known gang leader Aluva Athul.
The victim, who was recently released on bail, was hacked to death on a public road, leading to the registration of Case No. 381/2026 at the Karunagappally Police Station. The arrested persons were identified as Aneer (32), Vishnu (28), Noushal (30), Mohammed Ashiq (27), Shamnad (30), Mohammed Faisal Khan (29), Ali Ummar (24), Shinu Peter (31), Adil Mohammed (21) and Hussain (31).
The breakthrough came within hours of the crime, after an extensive search overseen by Thiruvananthapuram range DIG J. Himendranath and District Superintendent of Police (Kollam City) M. Hemalatha. The operation involved a DANSAF team and officers from several stations working together to track the suspects in four districts.
Within three hours of the crime, the police spread their investigation across Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta and Idukki districts and successfully arrested Noufal, Shamnad, Shina Peter and Mohammed Faisal, all of whom were directly involved in the crime.
During Noufal’s interrogation, it was revealed that the remaining accomplices abandoned their original getaway vehicle and fled in another. The police followed the second vehicle to the Varkala area and eventually followed its trail towards Kottayam. With the help of the Kottayam police, the remaining suspects including Vishnu, Aneer, Hussain and Mohammed Ashiq were caught in Mundakkayam while trying to escape on foot.
The accused were produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody. Law enforcement officers also seized the two vehicles used in the crime.
Published – 15 March 2026 20:33 IST
