In a gruesome crime, a man was hacked to death in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram in the wee hours of Sunday.
The victim has been identified as Vipin aka Kochukuttan, an autorickshaw driver. He was found injured on the road near a private hospital in Anayara around 12.30 am on Sunday. The 36-year-old was a native of Pettah in the city.
Police rushed to the spot after receiving information from passers-by and shifted Vipin to the government Medical College Hospital. It is suspected that a group of people hired Vipin’s auto posing as passengers in order to execute the murder.
“Vipin died on the way to the hospital,” KR Biju, Circle Inspector of Pettah Police Station, told TNM.
Reports suggest that the crime was committed in an area where there was no light and hence came to the notice of passers-by only after a while. It is suspected that a four-member team carried out the crime. The police have not nabbed anyone in connection with the murder so far.
Some reports claimed that the victim’s right hand was cut off, but the police didn’t confirm that but said that Vipin’s left leg was separated from his body.
Police suspect that the motive behind the crime was previous enmity with another person.
“Recently a brawl took place in a bar and there was a case registered against Vipin for attacking a person named Vaisakh. The preliminary assumption is that the crime was motivated by retaliation for the attack in the bar. Vipin was not part of any goonda gangs. We are now investigating the whereabouts of Vaisakh,” the officer added.
However, multiple reports suggest that Vipin is an accused in a murder case. But no connection has been established so far for Vipin’s murder with the murder case he was involved in.
Vipin’s body has been kept at the medical college for an autopsy.