Kochi: Four persons including owner of a private bus were arrested in Perumbavoor on Monday for allegedly abducting a dalit youth and subjecting him to cruel assault to avenge an earlier verbal dispute between them. The accused were identified as bus owner Shani Nawab (32), a native of Vengola, and bus driver Rasheed A (30), Najeeb Aliyar (37) and Jaleel Karim (30), all residents of Vallom village near Perumbavoor. According to cops, it was a trivial incident that led to the murder attempt.
On October 28 last, the victim Shahul reportedly entered the main road from a bylane carelessly in his two-wheeler, forcing Rasheed, driver of ‘KTC Transport’ to hit brakes. A fierce verbal spat followed between the bus crew and Shahul, an autorickshaw driver by profession. Later on the night of that day, a group of six persons, that included the four accused, came to the house of Shahul in a car. They abducted him before cruelly assaulting him with hockey sticks and other weapons after taking him to a deserted place.
“The victim’s friend one Arun was also assaulted by the accused when the latter tried to stop the accused from taking the victim. Shahul was seriously injured and is undergoing treatment at the Rajagiri Hospital,” police said. A case for murder attempt (Section 307 under IPC) and charges under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of atrocities Act) 1989 were lodged against the accused. “Efforts are on to nab the remaining accused,” they said.
