Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Murder accused surrenders

Staff Reporter

`Aprani' Krishnakumar was waylaid and hacked to death

Thiruvananthapuram: A 31-year-old businessman, one of the main suspects in the gangland murder of `Aprani' Krishnakumar, has surrendered before the police. The suspect, D. Prasanth, is an A-grade Public Works Department (PWD) contractor hailing from Kulathoor. He surrendered before the investigating officer, R. Mahesh, on the basis of a High Court directive. Prasanth had earlier moved the court for anticipatory bail, which was denied. He has been booked on the charge of conspiracy under section 120 (b) of the Indian Penal Code.

On April 5, the police had searched Prasanth's house at Attipara and confiscated Government documents, including confidential office note files of the PWD Assistant Executive Engineer's office in Kollam. The documents were submitted before the court. The suspect will be produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate's court on Thursday.

Six persons held

Krishnakumar, an alleged gang leader, was waylaid and hacked to death by an armed gang on the Chakka-Kazhakuttom National Highway by-pass on February 20. The police have arrested six persons in connection with the murder.

They include `Karate' Suresh, 30, an accused in over 19 cases, including two murders.

According to police, `Aprani' Krishnakumar had developed serious differences with his friend-turned-foe, `Karate' Suresh. Both profited from real estate deals and wetland reclamation along the Chakka-Kazhakuttom IT-corridor.

The conspirators, in an attempt to further business interests, engineered Krishnakumar's murder by fanning old gangland rivalries, the police said.

All the assailants had a personal grudge against Krishnakumar. The plot was hatched at Punnallor and finalised at Muttathara where the six country bombs used for the daylight rush-hour murder were fashioned. The police are looking for three more persons in the murder conspiracy. An official said the prime suspect in the case is in Dubai and Interpol's help would be sought for securing his custody.

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