Neyyattinkara: The relatives of a notorious goon and murder accused who got killed in a fatal mishap here on Sunday have raised a suspicion of foul play in the incident, even as the driver of the tipper involved is still absconding.
Renjith (30), an accused in the Edavazhikkara Jose murder case, died on the spot after a speeding tipper coming from the opposite direction hit his bike at Punayalkonam near Perumkadavila at 10:30 am on Sunday. The mishap was so fatal that the victim's skull was severely fractured and his face was disfigured beyond recognition. The right leg too got broken. He was rushed to the hospital, but witness accounts stated he had died on the spot.
The tipper lost control following the mishap and also hit a car and a van parked on the roadside, damaging both vehicles. The driver fled from the scene and is absconding. However, the two other people in the tipper rushed Renjith to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Meanwhile, some natives raised a suspicion that the tipper was parked 300 metres away from the accident site before the incident, and that it was lying in wait for the arrival of the victim. They said that the information was passed on to the police.
Renjith is the son of Dharmaraj and Ramani of Melekuzhivila House, Tottavaram. He is unmarried and is also survived by his sister, Remya. His body is kept at the mortuary of a private hospital in Neyyattinkara. The Marayamuttam police have started a detailed probe.
Meanwhile, Renjith’s father, Dharmaraj, claimed certain persons close to a sand mafia active in the region had enmity with his son. The two sides had a ferocious verbal duel the other day, and the rivals threatened to kill his son, he said.
Renjith and his team had reportedly attacked two trucks near Perumbazhuthoor before the mishap incident on Sunday. The windscreen got smashed, and the speakers of the vehicles, which were being used to announce Easter messages then, were damaged. Renjith’s relatives claimed the rivals had threatened to eliminate him.
Both Edavazhikkara Jose, who was murdered eight years ago, and Renjith were engaged in the sand and rock mining activities. They were also active in real estate. A difference of opinion in connection with certain business dealings and rivalry were the reasons that led to the brutal murder of Jose, who was hacked to death before the Marayamuttam beverage outlet in the night. Renjith was an accused in this case. Jose was a Congress worker, and Renjith was a CPM loyalist. However, both their deaths are not connected with any political rivalry, sources said.
Three of the seven accused in the Jose murder case are no more.
