Kozhikode: Police have intensified investigation into the brutal murder of a 38-year-old man in Kozhikode, focusing on the possible involvement of a local drug network after investigators found indications that the murder bore the hallmark of drug-fuelled violence.

The victim, Biju, 38, a resident of Puthiya Kovilakamparambu near Palayam market, was found dead in his bedroom in the early hours of Sunday. Although his family told police that he had no known personal enmity, investigators are now probing whether his repeated objections to alleged drug-related activities in his neighbourhood could have led to the killing.

According to the postmortem report, Biju sustained around 45 stab injuries, including 18 wounds of varying depth on the front and back of his neck. A small steel knife is believed to have been used in the attack. 

Investigators suspect the assailant continued stabbing Biju even after inflicting fatal injuries, a pattern that police say is often seen in attacks carried out under the influence of narcotics. 

While police dismissed claims that Biju had acted as an informer against drug traffickers, they confirmed he had frequently confronted a group allegedly involved in drug abuse and illegal activities near his residence.

Relatives and local residents told police that Biju had objected to people consuming alcohol in public and had protested against suspected drug users occupying an abandoned building close to his house. Investigators are examining whether this hostility culminated in the murder.

Although there are no CCTV cameras immediately outside Biju's house, surveillance cameras cover the main approach roads. Police said footage from nearby shops and hotels had not revealed anything suspicious.

Investigators, however, believe the assailant may have deliberately avoided the CCTV-covered routes by using alternative access paths to the house, suggesting the crime was premeditated and that the attacker was familiar with the locality.

A Kasaba police official said the investigation was progressing on multiple angles, with the suspected drug mafia link emerging as one of the key lines of inquiry.