Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Gang leader killed in armed attack

Staff Reporter

Latest in a series of revenge attacks between rival gangs

BATTERED: The bonnet, windscreen and roof of a car which was damaged in the country bomb attack on gang leader `Aprani' Krishnakumar in the city on Tuesday. — Photo: S. Gopakumar

Thiruvananthapuram: An armed group killed suspected gang leader `Aprani' Krishnakumar, 34, on the busy Chakka-Kazhakuttam National Highway bypass road on Tuesday afternoon.

The assailants, who were travelling in a silver-coloured Mahindra Scorpio van (KL-02-W-9583) and on two motorbikes, intercepted Krishnakumar's Tata Indica car near the Indian Medical Association (IMA) headquarters around 12.30 p.m.

According to eyewitnesses, the assailants threw three bombs that shattered the windscreen and caused the bonnet and roof of the vehicle to cave in. Krishnakumar and two others ran out of the vehicle. The assailants, who were wielding swords, chased Krishnakumar and hacked him to death on the marshy land bordering the road. His head was nearly decapitated in the attack. The police counted 17 injuries on the body. People living half-a-kilometre from the road heard the lethal explosions. Krishnakumar, who got married last month, is survived by his wife.

Rival gang suspected

The police were investigating Krishnakumar's rival gang in connection with the murder. The police identified the prime suspects as `Karate' Suresh, Praveen, Arun, `Peeli' Shibu and Kochu Vava. Krishnakumar was killed when he was returning to Kazhakuttam after appearing at the district court. The police suspect that the murder was carried out with the active support of two gang leaders based at Vanchiyoor and Sreekanteswaram.

`Karate' Suresh is wanted in the 2006 murder of Krishnakumar's associate Changidi Vinod. He has not been arrested so far. In March last year, a youth, who was part of a hit-team on a reprisal mission to avenge Vinod's death, was killed when he accidentally set off a country bomb he was carrying for the operation.

Krishnakumar's murder is the latest in a series of revenge attacks and tit-for-tat violence between rival gangs in Kazhakuttam.

The inter-gang violence, which seems to be spiralling out of control, has triggered a sense of insecurity among the people. The gangs have cleverly turned to their advantage the aggressive rivalry between certain local politicians.

The police said 36 of the 136 persons categorised as `violent and habitual criminals' in the rural district operated from Kazhakuttam.

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