A member of Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam (DVK) was stabbed and hacked to death on Thursday night in Coimbatore. Following this, one person surrendered before the Coimbatore Judicial Magistrate Court V on Friday confessing to the crime.

The deceased, Farook, (31), was working as daily wage worker in Ukkadam old market. He was living in Ukkadam South housing unit.

The New Indian Express reported that he got a call at 11pm on Thursday and he left his house. At the Ukkadam waste treatment plant road, four people attacked him with knives. He tried to escape by running away from the place, but the gang had come in an auto and two-wheeler, so, they caught him and stabbed him in his stomach. They also hacked his neck. Hearing his cries for help, people came running to help him but the gang had fled the place by then.

Farook was an atheist and had rigid principles and ideologies, according to reports. Police told Times of India that Farook was the group admin of one of the WhatsApp groups and he used to post rationalistic views against his religion on WhatsApp as well as his Facebook page. Police suspect that his anti-Muslim sentiments might have made some people furious and led to the murder. The surrendered person was identified as M Ansardh, a resident of Podanur.

The Big Bazaar police also reached the spot immediately. Later, deputy commissioner S Saravanan also came and inquired about the case. The forensic department and the fingerprints bureau personnel also collected samples from the scene of crime.