Thiruvilwamala: A 29-year-old man, accused in a ganja case, was found dead at his rented home at Theendapara near Thiruvilwamala in Thrissur district.
The victim, Rafeeq of Chunangad near Ottapalam, was hacked to death.
His accomplice Fazil of Mepparambu in Palakkad was found unconscious with hack injuries on his head and leg. Fazil has been admitted to the Thrissur Government Medical College Hospital.
Six people are suspected to be involved in the incident. A Palakkad native, Shabeer Ali, has been nabbed, according to sources.
The Palakkad district anti-narcotic squad members, who arrived in search of another accused, found Rafeeq dead in the house around 1 pm on Monday. They then informed the police.
It is suspected that a clash between rival gangs or between the members of the same group had led to the murder.
Neighbours said that some people had arrived at the house the other night and created a ruckus. And that one person was seen driving away in a van.
Rafeeq had taken the house on rent on August 3, while claiming to be a worker at a shop at Thiruvilwamala.
He was arrested in the Ottapalam ganja case in 2019 but was later let out on bail.
An attempt to seize ganja at the Walayar check-post had failed the other day. The anti-narcotic squad, probing that incident, had reached Rafeeq’s house.
A team led by Commissioner R Aditya and Assistant Police Commissioner Sinoj inspected the spot. The fingerprint experts also collected evidence from the crime site.
