Kozhikode: The mob lynching of 20-year-old Sooraj Ambalakkandy at Palottukavu on Saturday night was a premeditated act, Medical College Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) A Umesh said on Sunday.

Sooraj, a native of Palakkottuvayal and an employee at a car service centre in Chevarambalam, was beaten to death by a gang led by his neighbour Manoj and his 20-year-old sons, Ajay Manoj and Vijay Manoj.

Police have so far taken at least nine people into custody, confirming three — Manoj and his sons — as key accused. The other accused are Ananthu Krishna (20), Ashwin Sankar (18), Yadhu Krishna (20), Abhishanth (21), Vijay Krishna (21) and Nihal (20). One among those in custody is a juvenile, the ACP said. "The accused, mostly of the same age group as the victim, intended to kill him," ACP Umesh told the media.

The conflict that led to the murder reportedly began earlier at SNES College, Chathamangalam, where Sooraj intervened in a dispute over vehicle parking between his friend Aswanth and one of Manoj’s sons. Provoked by the intervention, around 11 pm on Saturday, Manoj, his sons, and others confronted Sooraj near a shop at Palakkottuvayal during a temple festival. Eyewitnesses said the gang, led by Manoj, pushed Sooraj to the ground and brutally assaulted him by kicking and hitting him.

"The groups had summoned more people to the spot, and the violence escalated," ACP Umesh said. "During the attack, the assailants pinned Sooraj to the ground, pressing down heavily on his stomach and neck with their feet. Though the original dispute was between Aswanth and Manoj’s son, the hostility shifted towards Sooraj, possibly because he was more aggressive in the confrontation," he added.

Despite realising that the brutal assault could be fatal, the attackers continued beating him, the ACP noted. Sooraj, who suffered severe internal injuries, was rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital but was declared dead by 12.30 am on Sunday. Tension gripped Palakkottuvayal after the incident, with enraged locals attacking Manoj’s house and vandalising his car. Additional police forces have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.