Thrissur: In a swift and decisive operation, the Thrissur East police have arrested two young men who unleashed a wave of terror in the heart of the city, brutally attacking and robbing vulnerable people on the streets in early mornings.

The arrested have been identified as 19-year-old Sadiq, a resident of Thottappu Parakkal in Chavakkad, and 27-year-old Danny George, hailing from Chennayppara in Peechi. According to the police, the duo were repeat offenders who find a twisted thrill in targeting, beating, and robbing helpless, homeless individuals without any provocation. The police tracked down and arrested the suspects using CCTV footage from the city camera control network.

The assaults took place around 3 am on Tuesday at Shakthan Nagar within a span of just a few minutes. The suspects, riding a motorcycle they had stolen from Guruvayur, first targeted an elderly couple, Muthukrishnan and his wife Gomathi, who were sleeping at the Shakthan stand.

Sadiq and Danny attacked the sleeping couple, hacking Muthukrishnan on his head with a weapon before turning on Gomathi. They snatched the couple's cash and ATM cards before speeding away on their motorcycle. Muthukrishnan, who suffered severe head injuries, is currently undergoing treatment at the Thrissur Government Medical College Hospital.

Minutes after attacking the elderly couple, the assailants targeted a physically-challenged man who was riding his three-wheeled bicycle near a local hotel. Sadiq and Danny dragged the man, along with his customised bicycle, to a secluded spot behind a nearby building.

They stuffed a piece of cloth into his mouth to muffle his cries for help, beat him mercilessly, and robbed him of all his money before fleeing the scene.

The horrific double attack occurred at a time when the city police were already on high alert and hunting for unidentified criminals targeting the vulnerable on night patrols. Sadiq was already a wanted suspect, with several criminal cases registered against him at various police stations, including Thrissur East, Kunnamkulam, Guruvayur, and Vazhakkad.

Following the Shakthan Nagar incidents, Thrissur City Police Commissioner Nakul R Deshmukh mobilised the entire city police force to capture the suspects. The City Camera Control Room was put on high alert, tracking the movement of the suspects on the stolen motorcycle. After a chase that extended up to Guruvayur, the police cornered and arrested the culprits.

The successful operation was led by ACP TR Rajesh, Inspector Mahendrasimhan, Sub-Inspectors Jees Mathew and Varun, and shadow police squad members Harish, Deepak, Suraj, and Jithin. The accused have been presented before the court and remanded in judicial custody.