Kasaragod: A man, linked to gang wars in Dakshina Kannada, was found dead with his neck slashed near the Uppala railway level crossing in Kasaragod district on Saturday. 

Manjeshwar police investigating the case have identified the deceased as Noufal alias Toppi Noufal of Bajal in Mangaluru. Noufal's family had recently filed a missing-person complaint with Mangaluru Police.

The body, clad in an inner vest and jeans, was spotted by walkers along the railway track. Police later found his shirt a few feet away and noticed bloodstains at the spot, raising suspicion of foul play.

"There are no clear signs of a train hit. Prima facie, we suspect the death occurred elsewhere and the body was placed on the track," a senior police officer said.

Officers also recovered a syringe and a vehicle key from the trouser pocket. Investigators are examining whether the syringe was used for drug consumption or administered forcibly.

Police records show Noufal faced multiple serious criminal cases over the past eight years. In November 2017, he was arrested by Mangaluru Police for the Farangipet double murder of Zia and Fayaz. The two belonged to a rival gang and were killed during a gang clash at Farangipet on October 26, 2017.

In May 2022, Dakshina Kannada's Ullal Police arrested him in connection with the attempt to murder of Arif, a fish merchant of Kudroli in Mangaluru. In August 2023, he allegedly kidnapped a man named Majeed Sayyed using a toy pistol. He allegedly demanded a car and ₹5 lakh. When Sayyed refused, the accused allegedly robbed him of his car, mobile phone, and ₹18,000 in cash. Noufal was believed to have ties to multiple criminal networks operating between Mangaluru, Ullal, and Kasaragod.

Forensic experts and a dog squad examined the scene where his body was found. Manjeshwar Inspector P Ajith Kumar is leading the probe.

Police said they are currently retrieving mobile phone and tower dump data, tracing recent vehicle movements, analysing CCTV footage from nearby areas and mapping recent contacts and gang links. 

Noufal's body, now at Kasaragod General Hospital, will be shifted to Kannur Government Medical College, Pariyaram, for autopsy. "Only after the autopsy will the exact cause of death be confirmed," the Inspector said.