MALAPPURAM: A 32-year-old man, who had converted to Islam a few months ago, was brutally murdered under mysterious circumstances early on Saturday at Kodinhi in Malappuram. Anil Kumar, also known as Faisal, was found dead with grave wounds on his head and neck by the roadside at Kodinhi Farook Nagar, few metres away from his ancestral home at around 5 am by local residents. An autorickshaw, which he had used, was also found abandoned near the spot. Faisal was going to Tanur railway station to pick up his parents in-law who came from Thiruvananthapuram in an early morning train.
Faisal was about to return to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on Sunday where he was working as a driver for the last five years. A police team led by district police chief Debesh Kumar Behera camped in the area. An investigation team led by circle inspector of Kondotty, M. Muhammed Haneefa was constituted to probe the incident. Kannur range I.G Dinendra Kashyap has also visited the site.
The preliminary probe suggests that the heinous act could be in retaliation to his conversion. The police investigation has zeroed in some of the suspected family members of Faisal to find out the killers. The CCTV visual retrieved from a nearby shop showed a suspected car and two bikes which passed close to the purported time of the incident. Meanwhile, the victim’s mother Meenakshi Pullooni alleged that Faisal was cheated by someone within the family. According to neighbours and his friends, Faisal had received threats from some relatives after the conversion.
However, Faisal had not lodged any complaint in this regard, police said. A team from Forensic Laboratory in Thrissur, dog squad and fingerprint experts from Malappuram visited the site and collected evidences. The body was later taken to Kozhikode Medical College for autopsy and last rites were held at Kodinhi Juma Masjid. He was survived by wife and three children who embraced Islam two months ago at Maunathul Islam Sabha in Ponnani.
