Kozhikode: The Kozhikode police on Wednesday arrested a fisherman in connection with the murder of a Kollam native at a lodge in Beypore harbour. Jose (35), from Kadappuram, Kacheri in Kollam, was caught while attempting to flee to Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. Cops said he was on the run following the death of Solomon, a 40-year-old fish net weaver from Iravipuram, Kollam.

Solomon’s body was found in a pool of blood on Saturday morning in a room at the Three Star lodge in Beypore junction. It is unclear how he ended up at the Three Star, as he stayed at the Chembans lodge nearby. The room was earlier rented by Aneesh and his crew, who had vacated it by 9 pm on Friday. Jose, who had recently joined Aneesh’s team as a substitute, was the only person left behind.

The police suspect that Jose and Solomon met at a shop in the harbour junction on Friday night, drank together, and got into an altercation that escalated fatally. Officials say more details will emerge after further interrogation.

The investigation faced hurdles due to Jose switching off his phone and a lack of CCTV footage from major railway stations. The trail picked up after Jose called his mother using a stranger’s mobile phone in Kayamkulam. Police obtained footage from there, which helped track him to Punnapra. After changing clothes at a relative’s house, Jose was caught en route to Thoothukudi and brought to Kozhikode.