Biker overtakes bullock cart, stabbed to death in Palakkad; two accused on the run

A 24-year-old man was stabbed to death in Palakkad, allegedly following a roadside altercation that broke out after he and his friends overtook a bullock cart, police said. The man was identified as Muhammed Shafeeq, a native of Attayampathy in Vadakarapathy.

The accused, Nelson and Jenson, both residents of Kozhinjampara, are on the run. 

The incident took place around 10.30 pm on Saturday at Kerampara. Shafeeq was travelling on a motorcycle with his friends Simson and Karthik when they allegedly overtook a bullock cart being driven by the accused.

According to the Kozhinjampara police, the two accused intercepted the motorcycle near a plywood company at Kerampara and assaulted the trio. When Simson questioned the attack, Jenson grabbed him by the neck and restrained him while shouting, "Kill him".

The First Information Report (FIR) states that Nelson then stabbed Simson on the left side of his abdomen with a knife before turning the weapon on Shafeeq, inflicting a similar injury to his abdomen.

Both injured men were initially taken to a nearby hospital before being shifted to a private hospital in Palakkad for advanced treatment. Shafeeq, however, succumbed to his injuries at 12.40 am on Sunday, while Simson continues to undergo treatment.

According to police, both the accused and the victims were involved in bullock racing events held in the neighbouring Tamil Nadu. "It is common for participants in these areas to take their bulls out on the roads at night to exercise and train them. Nelson and Jenson were doing the same when the incident occurred," a police officer said.

Police have launched a search for Nelson and Jenson. The accused have been booked under Sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 109 (attempt to murder), 103 (murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 3(5) (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).