Perinthalmanna: In a major breakthrough, the police have arrested the absconding main accused in the gruesome murder of Agali native Abdul Jaleel, who had returned from Saudi Arabia, over a week ago. Police claimed he was a carrier and was done away with by a gold smuggling racket for ditching them.
Yahiya Mohammed, 35, was taken into custody from Akkaparamba, near Perinthalmanna, the other day. The accused was taken to Manathumangalam and Akkaparamba for evidence collection.
Jaleel, 42, was abducted and brutally beaten up after he returned to Kerala from Saudi Arabia and later died at the hospital.
Two more to be arrested
Perinthalmanna Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) M Santhosh Kumar said that two more people, who had direct involvement in the case, would be nabbed soon and more people, including those who had helped the accused, have to be arrested. Currently, nine people have been arrested in the case.
Jaleel was abducted and assaulted over the loss of 1.2 kg gold that was given to him by Yahiya's accomplices in Saudi, the DySP said.
Jaleel, who landed at the Cochin airport from Saudi Arabia, was kidnapped on the morning of May 15. He was taken to various places and brutally beaten for several days. After getting an unconscious Jaleel admitted to a private hospital at Perinthalmanna, Yahiya fled.
The police had intensified the probe after identifying Yahiya from the CCTV footage of the hospital, and nabbed him the other day.
