In a swift and coordinated operation, the police have arrested all ten individuals allegedly involved in the brutal daylight murder of notorious gang leader ‘Aluva Athul’.
The victim, who had recently been 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 individuals have been 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, following a massive manhunt supervised by Thiruvananthapuram range DIG J. Himendranath and District Police Chief (Kollam City) M. Hemalatha. The operation involved the DANSAF team and officials from multiple stations who collaborated to track the suspects across four districts.
Within three hours of the crime, the police expanded their investigation across Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, and Idukki districts, and successfully took into custody Noufal, Shamnad, Shinu Peter, and Mohammed Faisal, all of whom were directly involved in the offence.
During the interrogation of Noufal, it was revealed that the remaining accomplices had abandoned their initial getaway vehicle and fled in another. Police tracked the second vehicle to the Varkala area and eventually followed its trail toward Kottayam. With the assistance of the Kottayam police, the remaining suspects including Vishnu, Aneer, Hussain, and Mohammed Ashiq were intercepted at Mundakkayam while attempting to escape on foot.
The accused were produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody. Law enforcement officials have also seized both vehicles used for the crime.
Published – March 15, 2026 08:33 pm IST
