Police recover weapons used in murder of Visakh from bushes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The weapons used in the murder of the youth by a four-member team in broad daylight in the city have been recovered. The dead is Visakh (40), son of Kumari Shaila of Champakkada Thaivilakath House. Vineeth, one of the accused in the case, took the weapons hidden in the bushes and then handed them over to the police. Three machetes were recovered.

The accused abandoned the vehicle near the Pulayanarkotta Chest Hospital after the murder and then hid the weapons in the nearby bushes. The accused told police about it when they were questioned last night.

The murder was committed by Pradeep Kumar (39) of Palkulangara, a neighbour and a relative of Visakh and three others. Pradeep Kumar along with three of his friends identified as Mukesh alias Sivaprasad (39) of Karikakkam Kadayil House, Rasim alias Chikku (35) of Pettah YMA Road Manalil House and Vineeth (40) of Pachallur Thoppady Atarikathu House, were arrested late last night.

Visakh was murdered Sunday afternoon at 2 pm on Champakada-Nalumukku road near Kaithamukku in Palkulangara. Visakh had a dry-cleaning shop. The four-member group followed him in an Alto car when he came to have lunch yesterday afternoon. The accused hacked him all over his body as he was entering his house after parking his scooter on the roadside. He was hacked on his arms, legs and stomach. The locals rushed him to the medical college hospital, but his life could not be saved. A long-standing boundary dispute ended in the murder.