Kochi city police on July 6 arrested six men in Ernakulam district, accused of hacking a 32-year-old auto rickshaw driver to death. The victim, identified to be Krishna Kumar alias Kannan, a resident of Kunnumpuram in Edapally, was found dead in the wee hours of Monday (June 5). According to police, Krishna Kumar was hacked to death over a scuffle on a personal financial matter. The arrested accused includes a police officer of the Armed Reserve camp in Ernakulam. It was around Tuesday midnight that one of the accused, identified as 39-year-old Maradu native Faisal Mon, allegedly called deceased Krishna Kumar to a vacant plot near a canal at Peeliyodu in Edapally. According to police, after Krishna Kumar reached the spot, other accused along with Faisal allegedly hacked him with iron rods. According to reports, the attack came to the police’s notice after some neighbours heard the commotion and informed them.
The other five accused booked for alleged murder are 35-year old Bijoy, a resident of Edapally North and an officer of AR Camp, 25-year-old Aluva native Ubaid, 26-year-old Aluva native Ansal, 26-year-old Edapally North resident Faisal and 38-year-old Edapally resident Subeesh. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kochi, Aishwarya Dongre who inspected the spot where the attack took place, said that three people witnessed the incident and arrest was based on their statements. Police have also retrieved iron rods from the spot where he was attacked. As per the investigation officers, Krishna Kumar had borrowed Rs 50,000 from someone through Faisal and the attack was suspectedly related to this.
“Once the body was found, police immediately rushed him to hospital. There are marks throughout his body suspected to be due to a beating with iron rods. There are three witnesses in the case and arrest was based on that. The motive of the death was some financial transaction between them,” said Aishwarya Dongre.